Bonds
by chaos56
Summary: There are bonds between family, bonds between captives,  bonds between abuser and abused.     WARNINIG : Rated M as there will be reference to physical and sexual abuse in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 Bonds**

**There are bonds between family, bonds between captives, bonds when people are under stressful conditions, bonds between abuser and abused. **

**WARNING : Rated M as there will be reference to physical and sexual abuse in later chapters**

**A/N In this story I have included OC – Michael Bridger who is Nathan's younger brother, Cara Bridger his wife and Freya and Kit Bridger who are their two daughters. **

**Thanks to darkin520 for guidance on improving the story introduction and for all other advice which is really welcome.**

"I can't decide whether to have a raspberry ripple or a caramel crunch," Cara pondered out loud as she walked along with Lucas.

"Have both," he suggested.

"No that would be greedy….OK you persuaded me… let's wander." They both laughed and Cara put her arm in Lucas's.

"I can't wait to show Freya the new adaptations to Darwin's program." Lucas announced, "She will thinks its so cool."

"Are you ready for Kit?"

"As always."

"You are so good with them, you spend ages with them. Infact they never let you alone!"

"I love it, I love them." He smiled.

Being part of the Bridger family had meant so much to him. His two cousins, Freya and Kit, he supposed he could actually call them that now, were the loves of his life. He adored spending time with them and time with their parents Cara and Michael in England. He waited for their visits back over to the Seaquest so he could show off a bit. He didn't think it was too pretentious and they loved it.

"Let me take a quick photo to send to Dad." Lucas smiled; he held out his vid phone and put his arm round Cara – say cheese!" They both laughed.

They were having such a good time they did not see the man watching them and slowly coming up behind them.

Suddenly they heard someone talking, whispering menacingly into their ears and Cara felt something hard in the small of her back.

"Move towards the motor home – don't say anything, don't turn round or she will have a 22 in her spine." Cara froze as she felt Lucas's whole body stiffen. They were manoeuvred over to a motor home parked just off the beach; Cara noticed all the blinds were down. They walked up the stairs and went in.

It was dark inside and Cara initially couldn't see until her eyes became accustomed to the dark. She held onto Lucas's hand. It was quiet; she only heard the lock being turned. After what seemed an endless time two words broke through the silence that froze his blood.

"Hello Lucas."

Silence.

"Have you missed me?"

Silence.

A hand was raised and brought roughly down across Lucas's face. The power of the blow sent him to the floor.

"No!" Cara yelled, before she could think, "Leave him alone!"

Lawrence Wolenczak turned to her. "Well, we can't be having that level of noise in here can we? Hello Mrs Bridger." With that she felt a sting across her face which took her breath away. He had slapped her. "Tie her up and gag her." Rough hands forced her hands behind her back and something was put into her mouth and secured. As he tied her up he let his hands move up and down her front, he was rubbing and squeezing her, his hand inside her top. She felt sick. Her attention went to Lucas who was still on the floor obviously traumatised with what was happening.

Wolenczak delivered a couple of rough kicks to Lucas's side. Lucas gasped.

"Get up you useless piece of garbage."

Lucas slowly got up, the side of his face red from where he had been hit. He looked terrified.

"Have you forgotten your old Daddy now you have a new one?"

Lucas shook his head.

"I think this will be a nice time to remember all the good times we had together and for me to get to know you again. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Lucas didn't say a word. Perhaps he knew what was coming next, but Cara certainly didn't. Wolenczak delivered two hard punches to Lucas's stomach. He then grabbed his neck and punched him in the back. She was horrified and tried to get over to Lucas. She didn't know what she thought she could do. She just wanted to be with him.

Wolenczak turned to see her trying to come over. "Curtis, hold her and if she so much as squeaks, silence her."

She was roughly pulled back, hands moving over her body until they reached her throat.

"Stay still pretty lady, I want to be around for a while so you and me can get acquainted."

"Let's get going." Wolenczak said impatiently.

"Tie this kid up." He pushed a very winded Lucas towards the man who forced Lucas's arms behind his back and then pushed him down onto the ground.

Wolenczak turned to them both. "Not a sound while we are driving or you will regret it. Understood."

They both stared. Lucas nodded. He turned to Cara and came towards her."

"She understands," confirmed Lucas. Wolenczak turned to him. "Make sure she does."

The two men left to get into the front and Cara felt the van start. Slowly she moved towards Lucas and him to her. He came really close and managed to pull her gag down with his teeth.

They sat looking at each other. The terror in Lucas's eyes frightened her.

She knew that Lucas had suffered abuse from his father for years and that it had only been discovered when Lucas was fifteen, infact when he had been staying at her house. Wolenczak had been discredited and jailed and Nathan had adopted Lucas. He became part of their family and slowly he began to understand how wonderful real family could be. She had no idea why Wolenczak was here now, she had no idea who the other man was, and she had no idea what they were going to do, but she knew she had to be strong for Lucas. Cara's arms began to go numb and they seemed to be driving forever.

Lucas had his eyes closed. He just couldn't believe it, he thought he was safe but the pain in his side and face and stomach told him he wasn't and he began to feel the dread again that he used to feel when he was waiting to be punished by his father, the muscles that were not recovering from his encounter with his father were now tightening into a knot.

All she could do was move closer to him. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. The journey was now taking place over rough ground and they were being thrown around the inside of the motor home, finally it stopped. Cara saw the man Curtis coming towards them.

"Home sweet home, hey where's your gag? How that happen?"

"I pushed it out with my tongue," Cara said not wanting Lucas to get into any more trouble.

"Wow some tongue, I'll have to get me some of that." He picked her up and began to move his hands up and down her body. She felt sick again and wanted to run, but she couldn't.

"Curtis!" Wolenczak cut his actions short, "Get them both out." Curtis picked Lucas up and pushed them both to the steps. They were standing outside a large old house, in the middle of no where. She started to feel panic in the pit of her stomach.

"In." Wolenczak pushed her up the steps, she found it hard to manoeuvre with her hands tied behind her back. He was holding onto her as he unlocked the front door. A musty smell invaded her nostrils that made her cough. "We'll have to see what you can do about this place." Cara had no idea Wolenczak was talking to her and was only notified by a sharp pain in her back where he punched her. He turned her round to face him. "You are a very disrespectful person, and I hate that," he said following it by two punches to her abdomen which made her double up and cough. She felt gentle hands pulling her up, it was Lucas.

"Please," he said looking at Wolenczak, "She has no part in this, let her go."

"So you are now the brave hero with his new family, standing up to his old Dad." He turned to Lucas, "She stays," then after a moment he said one word to Lucas, "Strip." Lucas looked at him and began to take off his clothes, devoid of emotion. He took them all off folded them and stood infront of his father. His pang of embarrassment to be naked infront of Cara was far outweighed by the fear he felt from his father.

"No!" She gasped.

"You, Mrs Bridger" he came over to Cara, "Are going about the right way to be the first one to feel my wrath," again he backhanded Cara, who this time did not fall but just stood facing him.

"Let her go, she isn't used to this," said a voice.

"Oh my son the hero is it, or is it my son the worthless piece of dirt who has caused me so much grief?"

"He's a boy," Cara heard herself say, "Your child, how can you do this to him?"

Wolenczak was now very quiet. Lucas knew the sign. Wolenczak turned to Curtis.

"Bring her I think they can learn their first lesson together." With that he grabbed Lucas's arm and pulled him towards a door. He opened it and Cara saw stairs leading down from it. She felt herself being pushed towards it. She was very, very scared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

This story takes place around about season 2 although Kristin, Ben and Katie are still on the crew and there is no Wendy although there is some para-psychological activity from another character.**  
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Cara stumbled down the stairs to see a large room with odd tables and then she saw chains and shackles. She saw Wolenczak lead Lucas over to one of the tables.

"Over." he said.

"No!" Cara shouted.

"Curtis!" Wolenczak hissed.

A strong arm was put around Cara's neck. She saw Wolenczak go to a cupboard and bring out a whip. She couldn't believe it. He started beating Lucas with it. Before she could take it in or realise what was happening she felt herself being pulled towards a table. Her hands were still tied behind her back. Curtis turned her to face him – all she could hear was the whip and Lucas's gasps. He had a knife in his hand and was coming to her. He put his hand inside her top and cut her bra off. She couldn't take in what was happening. He then traced where here bra had been feeling her, touching her; he still had the knife in his hand and she could feel the cold steel on her flesh. In a flash his hands were on her skirt, lifting it up the knife following, he cut the rest of her underwear off and pushed her over the table. She wasn't sure how he did it but her hands were untied and fastened to chains on the table. She was stretched out bending over the table. His hands were on her, feeling, pinching.

"Lady you get me so hot," She heard him unzip his trousers. He was pushing her legs apart. Getting into position.

She screamed and he laughed.

Lucas heard the scream and turned his head. He saw Cara over the table and Curtis standing behind her. "No!" Lucas actually tried to get up.

"Stay down you insolent whelp," and the strokes became much faster and finally Lucas blacked out.

When he came to his father had gone. He turned to see Cara. She was still over the table, but no sign of Curtis.

"Cara," he whispered as loudly as he could.

"Lucas," was the reply.

"Cara I'm so sorry..." He began.

"Lucas it's not your fault." There was a movement of chains and he saw her slowly stand up and walk towards him. She tried to undo his chains but they wouldn't give.

His back, arms, bottom and legs were covered by red stripes from the whip. Some were bleeding. She looked round and saw a partition and a sink sticking out from there. She went over and turned the tap on, miraculously it worked and clear water came gushing out. There was nothing to use so she tore some off the bottom of her skirt dampened it and went to Lucas. She didn't know where to start. She carefully dabbed the blood. He winced.

"I am so sorry, my darling boy. How could he do this to you? Lucas you know I love you and Michael and the girls and Nathan and Kristin. We all love you. You are not worthless you make such a difference to our lives." As she was talking she was gently dabbing his back.

"I know," he whispered, "but look what he did to you, you don't deserve…"

"Neither do you," she said, "They are both monsters. We have to think of what we can do to get out of this."

"He'll leave us alone until tonight." Lucas said. "He always lets me think about how useless I am and what I did to deserve this for at least three hours before he comes back."

"You know you did nothing to deserve this and you are not useless." Cara stressed. She brought a chair over and sat by Lucas resting her hand on one of the least beaten parts of his body.

And that's how Wolenczak found them. They didn't hear him come in.

"What are you doing near him?" The sharp voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. His hands pulled her up and turned her to face him.

Lucas woke with a start, a stabbing pain of panic shooting through his body. He had almost forgotten how the sound of his father's voice could make him terrified. It was so different with Nathan Bridger. Where was he now? Lucas wanted to see his adoptive father so much now. He wanted Nathan to make it alright for him and for Cara.

"I said what were you doing near him?"

"Being close to him ..." but before she cold finish he had punched her in the face.

"When you have a punishment you stay where you are. Do you understand?"

She said nothing.

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her over to the table. He punched her in the stomach and back then started to undo his belt and slide it out of his trousers. She had no idea what was coming next. Why should she? She had never ever been treated like this before. He turned her over by her hair so she was face down. She felt pain sear across her back. She tried to get up, to move to fight back but his grip was too strong and the blows of the belt came hard and fast. She gasped almost forgetting to breathe. She thought she was going to die. The beating stopped and she was pulled up to face Wolenczak.

"So when you are punished, where do you stay?"

She was silent which earned her another punch in the face.

"Please Cara just tell him!" shouted Lucas from across the room.

"Hush!" commanded Wolenczak.

He pulled Cara up again.

"Where do you stay?"

Cara looked him straight in the face although she was terrified. "Right here." she received a blow to the side of her face. He grabbed one of the chains and put it round her wrist.

"Understand?"

"Yes"

"Yes what?"

Silence.

He brought the belt down across her thighs several times.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Mr Wolenczak"

"That's better"

He began to walk away, then turned and punched her in the stomach.

"Remember." he said.

He walked over to Lucas who had been watching the whole thing.

"Please, Dad, let her go."

The belt came down across Lucas's back.

"Oh no. I can see I have my work cut out for me. Cara is disrespectful and needs to be broken and you!" He brought the belt down again across Lucas's back – buckle side up, "are wilful and need to be taught that you only speak when you are spoken to," the belt was raised again and brought down. "Understand?"

"Yes, sir"

Cara couldn't help it; some very strong maternal emotional force seemed to take over her mouth.

"You bastard." she said. "Leave him alone."

"No!" Lucas cried in alarm. No-one had ever stood up to his father for him. Everyone was frightened of the consequence. But here was Cara, chained and beaten and she was still willing to challenge his father.

Wolenczak turned and went over to Cara.

"What did you say?"

"You heard." said Cara who couldn't believe she just replied. She was shaking but couldn't let this man hurt Lucas like this, after all that he had already done to him.

Wolenczak raised the belt and Cara braced for impact. After he had finished he walked away leaving Cara unconscious. She was bleeding from where the buckle had gouged her skin.

He walked towards Lucas. "Now, what was the lesson I was going to teach you?"

When Cara woke it was dark.

She couldn't work out where she was and why every part of her body hurt. She gently touched her face it was swollen, her back felt like it was on fire and her left eye wasn't opening. She struggled to her feet and undid the chain around her wrist and then she remembered.

"Lucas?" she whispered.

"Oh thank God!" Came a voice from the other end of the room, "I thought you were dead!" Lucas had been waiting in the dark praying that she was alright. After his father had finished with him, he had stormed out of the room and slammed the door. Lucas could not move and had been forced to just wait and see if Cara was alright. It was the longest wait of his life

"I think I am." She replied.

As her eyes got used to the darkness, she could make out Lucas's body, still chained over the table. She very carefully made her way over to the table.

"Lucas, how are you?"

"I think I'm in a better state than you, he beat you so badly."

"It's over." she said simply

'_But I wonder for how long?_' he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Cara moved towards the chains round Lucas's wrists and this time she was able to undo them. She helped him stand up with difficulty. He was shivering. She scanned the room and saw some blankets in one corner. "Oh Thank God," she whispered and went to them. She took one and put it around Lucas's shoulders and then went back, laid some on the floor. She sat with her back against the wall, although it really hurt and put her legs on the blankets.

"Come here." Lucas went over and lay next to her with his head on her shoulder. She put a blanket over them and they lay together. She tried to get them warm.

"Cara I am so sorry…" he began.

"Lucas, there is nothing to be sorry about, we are together. I will never leave you I love you and we will face this together." She really felt like sobbing and giving up but she could not. Nathan had done so much for Lucas and Kit and Freya loved him like a brother. She was certainly not going to give up on him now. She needed to remind him how much he was loved.

"Do you remember the first time you met Kit? She was a very cross six year old. She wouldn't do anything I asked and she was stomping around the Seaquest. You came out from the moon pool and asked if she wanted to meet a Dolphin. She said she already knew Darwin because she had met him on Uncle Nathan's Island.

'Ah, but' you said 'would you like to talk to him?' and you took her by the hand and she talked to Darwin, and from that time she has loved you completely and utterly."

Lucas smiled. He remembered that first conversation.

"Hello Darwin."

"Hello Kit."

"Did you ever find my red teddy that I lost on Uncle Nathan's island?"

"No Darwin looked for weeks..."

"Thank you Darwin."

"Kit and Lucas in same pod?"

"Yes he's my friend," replied Kit without battering an eyelid, "and he's my best one." Lucas loved how small children just accepted the situation.

"Lucas Darwin's friend too."

"When Lucas comes and stays with us at my house I will look after him so you don't have to worry."

"Darwin not worried Kit and Lucas in Darwin's pod we look after each other."

"And Mummy and Daddy and Freya and Uncle Nathan and Kristin and Ben and Dagwood and Miguel and Tim and Katie and Jonathon and Tony."

"Ben Krieg!"

"Oh yes, Ben and I have secrets."

"I bet you do!" smiled Lucas.

Lucas was still smiling when he remembered the earnest look on Kit's face when she was describing the members of her pod. Her family, his family. With that and feeling the warmth coming from Cara's body close to him he fell asleep enveloped in her arms.

Cara had no idea how long they had slept. She awoke aware that Lucas was still lying where he had fallen asleep. It was daytime as the small windows at the top of the room were now showing a light grey sky. She looked around the room, apart from the tables and shackles there were assorted chairs, piles of dustcovers, more blankets, cushions, a small bathroom behind a partition and several cupboards. As Wolenczak had taken the whip out of one of them she didn't really want to know what else was in there. She looked down at Lucas, still sleeping in her arms. What must he have gone through all the time he was with his father? She vaguely remembered his mother walking out on them to go off with a salesman was it or a marine biologist she couldn't remember; she knew Michael had mentioned it once in passing. Michael. '_Oh God'_ she thought, I miss you. Come and get me out of here. Her eyes filled with tears when she thought of her husband. She had to put thoughts out of her mind, if she did think of him she knew she would crumble. She couldn't bring herself to dwell on thoughts of her daughters as well. She knew she had to get out with Lucas so that she would be with them again. Lucas, she remembered the first time they met…

Cara was always in awe when she went on to the Seaquest. She was also amused that she was treated with such respect as she was the Captain's sister in law, Mrs Bridger. Her Mr Bridger and Captain Bridger were very close brothers. They were so similar and when Robert was lost and then Carol died they thought they had lost Nathan too. Michael went to spend time with him on the island. Then Cara and the girls went. Kit was only four and Cara thought she brought Nathan round. Being Kit she wouldn't leave him alone and in the end from being totally reclusive he was playing on the sand with her and taking her to swim with Darwin. He would spend hours with Freya showing her different marine life, and slowly they knew they were getting Nathan back. A couple of years later he went to the Seaquest, the deep sea submarine he has designed and built. Cara was in her quarters and Kit rushed in with a tall blond haired boy who was about fifteen.

"Mummy I talked to Darwin, he didn't find Red Teddy and this is Lucas my new friend and he's really cool and can I play with him and come and see Darwin because he's in my pod and can I have an apple?"

"What a shame, hello Lucas, yes you can and there's one in the fruit bowl"

Lucas smiled and said hello.

"How did you take all that in?" he asked

"Motherhood and spending hours with her, I'm sure your mother did the same."

"No she didn't." And the look in those big blue eyes melted her heart.

She got up went over, gave him a huge hug and said, "well I'm here now, listening champion of the world, I'm all yours, and I'm Cara." He didn't move away from her embrace. They just clicked.

Over the next four weeks they went ashore, Freya, Kit, Lucas and Cara leaving Michael and Nathan to do the things they always did together such as stroke bits of the boat, talk engineering and drink beer (when off duty of course). The four of them went to the beach, built sandcastles, and visited places like museums, which usually meant Kit and Cara whizzing through and Lucas and Freya spending time together taking a more leisurely approach to the visit. The girls absolutely adored Lucas and it was really clear that it was reciprocal.

The best time was when they went to Bridger Island, Lucas had been with the girls all day, they had supper and Cara went to put Kit to bed. Lucas and Freya came in and lay on the bed with Kit. Cara was reading an Ivy Cottage story and before she finished, all three were asleep together. She put the covers over them and went and called Nathan and Michael. When they came in they smiled. Lucas was in the middle with Freya and Kit both snuggled next to him.

They left them and went out on the porch.

"Cara, you have done so much for Lucas," Nathan smiled. "He was a lost, lonely boy, but now, you have brought him back to family."

"What about his father?"

"He is a brilliant scientist but he only sees him very occasionally, have you heard of him, Lawrence Wolenczak?"

Cara vaguely thought she heard of the name, but she didn't do much research on the latest science discoveries teaching seven year olds.

"Well you are more of a father than that man has ever been; Lucas always smiles when your name is mentioned."

When it was time to go back to England much to Freya, Kit and Lucas's sorrow, Michael and Cara promised that the next holiday Lucas would spend some time with them. The girls waited eagerly. They had a message from Nathan to say that Lucas would be coming to them from his Father's house; he was spending a long weekend there. When they met at the airport she immediately knew there was something the matter. The girls went to hug him and he winced. He said that he had fallen down the stairs and bruised some of his ribs but he had been to the doctors and he just needed rest. Call it motherhood sixth sense, call it being a teacher, but she didn't really believe him.

That evening they had a meal and Lucas spent ages playing games with the girls, cards, Mousetrap, and then they all played Cluedo, Lucas pairing up with Kit. They had hot chocolate with marshmallows and then it was time for bed. Lucas read to Kit and Cara spent time with Freya. Lucas said he was tired and would go to bed too.

"I'll be up in five minutes." Cara said

"To me?"

"Of course, I always say goodnight."

He smiled and went off upstairs.

"Michael," Cara said sitting next to him on the setee where he was reading the paper," I'm worried about Lucas."

"Why?"

"I'm sure something has gone on with his father, I don't think Lucas fell down the stairs."

"Oh come on Cara, you are imagining it."

"No, can you talk to Nathan and see if anything has been reported?"

"I'll feel a fool."

"He's your brother, he knows you're a fool" She smiled and moved out of smacking range just in time. "Love you." She said over her shoulder.

Lucas was in bed where she knocked on the door. He was facing the wall and was in a foetal position.

"Sweetheart." she said

"Goodnight," he whispered.

She went round to the other side of the bed. He was crying.

"Oh Lucas," Cara sat down next to him, "What's the matter?"

"I don't deserve to be part of your family."

"What!" She said, "You are a very important part of this family." She put her hand on his back and he winced

"Lucas, did your father hurt you?"

Silence.

"Lucas, you can tell me." She whispered.

"I can't." but he moved closer to her and she put her arm around him.

"Lucas, your father has no right to hurt you. It doesn't matter what his job is or how busy and important he is, you are his son."

A very small voice answered. "I am useless and shouldn't have been born."

Her heart broke.

"You are amazing and you have made a difference to so many people's lives, especially ours."

He began to sob. She slowly pulled the duvet down and saw that his T shirt had blood on it. She pulled it up and saw red stripes across his back.

"My God!" She gasped.

"Please don't tell anyone, Cara, Please!"

"Darling, I have to, just Michael and Nathan, but for now, I'm just going to sit with you and hold you and tell you how much you are loved." So that's what she did. She let him fall asleep on her. A while later Michael came in and saw her tear stained face and knew that there was something the matter. He took over from her and sat with his arms around Lucas and she went to talk to Nathan.

As the vid link uploaded she saw that Nathan was in his cabin.

"Cara." Nathan smiled, and then he saw her face. "What is it, Michael? Lucas, the girls?"

"Nathan its Lucas, his father… his father has treated him so badly"

"Yes I know, he ignores him for months at a time and then allows Lucas to visit him for a long weekend…"

"It's more than that Nathan. He had beaten him."

"What! are you sure?"

"Yes, his back is covered in stripes from a belt or whip and his body has bruises over it.

"That bastard" said Nathan, looking angrier than she'd ever seen him. "I'm coming to get Lucas."

"No, wait for a few days; let him have his time with the girls. We'll look after him and then, you can take him back to the Seaquest."

"Alright, I'll be in touch."

And that's what they did. The next day Lucas went into the shower and she helped to get his T shirt off without tearing much of the scabs on his back. Michael took photos for evidence. His face was like Nathan's wondering how anyone could hurt their child like that. She treated his wounds. She was a qualified first aider and so knew what to do.

He seemed a little happier, a relief of having told someone. They had a relaxing time only staying around the house or going to local places. Five days later Nathan came. Cara knew how much Nathan cared for Lucas. He wanted the best for Lucas and had been so upset how Lucas had been treated by his father. Lucas was so pleased to see him, as were the girls. Nathan very rarely visited them due to his schedule on Seaquest. That first night he had a talk with Lucas and things progressed from there. When they went back to the Seaquest, Nathan contacted the authorities, there was a hearing, a trial, and Wolenczak was found guilty and jailed. Lucas was adopted by Nathan and became one of the family for real. She never saw Wolenczak during the trial; she gave evidence via the video link. In pictures he looked a normal good looking man, how wrong can a picture be? Michael went over for the trial and she stayed with the girls, as they didn't really want them to know about everything only that Lucas had been hurt by his father and now he was really going to be their cousin.

She thought it was all over, and here they were now. They had been safe for two years. Lucas had visited them in England and they had been over to visit Nathan and Lucas on the Seaquest.

However now Wolenczak was out and they were with him.

She looked down at Lucas, he looked so vulnerable but he must have been strong to endure all the treatment his father had metered out to him over the years and now this, how could they endure it? She knew Michael and Nathan would be looking for them with every ounce of technology the UEO could muster, but would it be enough? She couldn't think that. They would find them, she just had to keep Lucas safe until then, perhaps she could just keep Wolenczak's attention off him, but could she stand the treatment? She thought she would die the last time he had beaten her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Her train of thought was disturbed by Lucas stirring.

"Morning," he said moving and sitting up. "Have you been awake long?"

"No just before you," she lied.

"I have to pee," he said and carefully got up and went into the bathroom. He came back and sat on the table, keeping the blanket over him. There was movement from the stairs and Curtis walked in.

"Hey how did you get out of those chains again? It's a good job it's me and not your old dad that came to get you. Put these on." He threw some grey clothes at them both.

Lucas had some grey shorts and a vest top. Cara had a vest top and skirt, slit up the side. She changed quickly trying to shield herself from Curtis as much as possible.

"No need to be shy little lady," he laughed, "Remember you and me have so much love to share." With that he pulled her up, put his hands under her top and squeezed her tightly.

"You go up to your pa," he looked at Lucas. "Me and the little lady have some more acquainting to do."

"No," Lucas said. Curtis went up to Lucas to backhand him, but Cara raised her hand and caught it."

"It's alright, Lucas was just going."

"Cara I…"

"It will be alright," she said.

Lucas slowly went up the stairs and Curtis closed the door behind him. He walked towards Cara.

"Lady there is just something about you, I can't get enough of," and he turned her round and led her over to the table. He slowly raised her skirt to her waist and bent her over the table. She wanted to sob and cry as he was getting into position. He held onto her hair with one hand and scratched and pulled and tugged her with the other. When he had finished he smacked her hard on her behind which made her jump. He turned her round.

"You're mine," he said, "and don't forget it!"

He laughed and pushed her upstairs.

Meanwhile Lucas had walked slowly up the stairs and waited in the hall.

His father's voice made him jump, "Where's Cara?"

"With Curtis"

"Well we can't wait. In here" Lucas followed his father into the kitchen. There was a brush, dustpan, mop and bucket. "Brush and mop the stairs so that they are clean. I want the musty smell from this house. Understand?"

Lucas nodded. Picked up the dustpan and brush and went upstairs. By the time Cara and Curtis came up the stairs Lucas was working.

"Bring her here." Wolenczak told Curtis.

"I want this kitchen spotless, and I want a meal prepared. There are ingredients in the fridge. I want it perfect and if I don't get what I want, you know the consequences to both you and the boy. Don't give me an excuse to tan his hide because you will watch."

Cara looked at him.

"Lucas hasn't had anything to eat for two days, is the meal for us too?"

She was slapped across the face.

"Do what you are told."

"Can I give him something to eat?" she persisted

He went to the cupboard and brought out a long thin cane. "Lucas" he called.

"OK OK" Cara said, "I'm going"

Lucas came in, "Are you working hard?"

"Yes, sir." he said

"Carry on" Wolenczak barked.

Cara spent most of the morning cleaning, washing and re-arranging the kitchen. She then peeled and chopped vegetables and made a Shepherd's pie. Lucas had done the stairs, hall way, entrance hall and some of the rooms. He came into the kitchen looking exhausted with dirt streaked over his face.

Cara turned the tap on and gave Lucas a drink of water. He sat down.

"What's this, get up you lazy piece of dirt!" Wolenczak stormed over to Lucas and knocked the cup out of his hands.

"He's just come in and I gave him a glass of water" replied Cara.

Wolenczak swung round to her, "I'll deal with you in a minute."

He picked up the very thin cane and went over to Lucas, bent him over the chair, pulled his shorts down and began to beat him severely with the cane. Lucas gasped

"It was just a drink of water." she repeated.

She went to go towards Wolenczak but she felt Curtis's hands holding her back.

Wolenczak began to speak in a very low voice, "You do not do anything without my permission, do you understand?"

Lucas was gasping.

Wolenczak brought the cane down faster and faster

"Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Lucas managed to whisper.

The beating continued.

"Yes what?"

"For Christ's sake," shouted Cara, "I gave the water to him!"

Wolenczak ignored her.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir."

The beating stopped. He pulled Lucas up. She could see Lucas's skin red and some of it bloody. Go stand in the corner. Lucas went over to the corner facing the wall.

Wolenczak turned to face Cara.

"Everything you do or have, you do or have when I say so, Lucas knows that and he chose to forget that and he was punished. Do you understand?"

She just looked at him.

He came over to her "Do you understand?"

"You're mad" She simply said.

"No, I'm the one with power," he turned to Curtis– take her downstairs and put her over the table, I'll be down in a moment."

Curtis pulled Cara downstairs, and put her over the table and chained her up, Wolenczak followed. "Leave us," he ordered Curtis, "and go and check on my son, make sure he hasn't moved, punish him if he has."

He then turned to Cara. "Do you know what power is?"

"No" he answered himself.

"It is this." He lifted up her top and brought down his belt across her back several times. I can do anything." He then lifted up her skirt.

"No! Please no!" she gasped.

"Oh yes, every part of you belongs to me."

She held back a sob. He was so angry and he used this anger to thrust and penetrate. When he was finished, he whispered in her ear, "Was that better than your Mr Bridger?"

"Bastard." she spat.

"What did you say?"

"I said you are a bastard, Mr Wolenczak."

He was really quiet for a moment and she thought he was going to beat her again, but he laughed and unchained her. He turned her round and faced her.

"I'll say this, Mrs Bridger, you've got spark, now get up stairs and give me my lunch." And he pushed her infront of him.

When they got up the stairs, Lucas was still in the corner and Curtis was watching him. Cara did not like the way he was looking at Lucas.

"You know, Wolenczak, you have a fine looking son there, so young so pretty."

And then Wolenczak uttered two words that shocked Cara.

"Help yourself."

"No!" Cara shouted. "Leave him alone, please, don't!"

Curtis went over to Lucas and held onto his arm.

"Come here my pretty."

"Please!" she turned to Wolenczak

"What is he to you? He's just a brat who needs to know discipline."

"He's a wonderful, talented gifted boy. There must be some scrap of paternal care left in your bones for him. He's your son. Please don't let Curtis hurt him."

"Why not, if it makes him happy?" Was the stark reply from Wolenczak, "and you can be a witness." He held onto her arms and dragged her into the living room. Curtis had pushed Lucas over a chair.

"No, Curtis, please don't, please leave him, I'll do anything for you, anything, willingly."

All she could see was Lucas' face, his wide eyes they glanced at her but then stared forward.

"Dear God, please don't hurt him." Cara begged.

"Oh Lady you know that you will do anything for me, I can make you do what I want, and here is a little bit of desert for me." He slapped Lucas on the behind and got into position. Lucas cried out and begged him to stop.

"You are animals," She sobbed.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. She was a telepath, but very rarely used her talent. Now was a time when she hoped she could use it to help Lucas.

'_Lucas I don't know if you can hear me, but we are going to get out of this place and we are going to make sure that these two people never, ever hurt us or anyone else again. I love you and you have to be strong. Think of something that will lift your mind away from your body so you can disconnect with what is happening. That is what I do'_

She concentrated so hard, she thought she would collapse, but Lucas stopped gasping and stayed still.

After Curtis finished he strode over to her and announced that he was hungry. Lucas stayed by the chair.

Wolenczak pulled her into the kitchen and demanded food. She took the shepherd's pie out of the oven and served it to them.

"Well you sure can cook." Curtis mumbled with his mouth open.

"Please Mr Wolenczak can I give something to Lucas?"

"Well finally, you are beginning to learn respect. There's some bread over in the cupboard, you can cut two slices."

"But…" She stopped herself and did what he said.

"Go."

She got the bread and ran out into the hall. Lucas was now lying on the floor, face down.

Cara went to him and held him.

"I heard you, Cara," Lucas whispered. "I heard you in my mind."

"That's what I was hoping," she said, "At least now you know that I will always be with you even if we are separated."

She helped Lucas put his shorts back.

"No crumbs on that carpet." shouted Wolenczak. "Go and eat yours outside the back and you know there's nowhere to run."

They went out of the back door and sat on the steps. She gave Lucas the piece of bread and began to eat hers. Despite not having anything for two days, she wasn't really that hungry because of all the trauma they had been through, but as she looked at Lucas eating his she knew she should eat as well to keep strength up and to make sure Lucas did not feel guilty about her not eating. She wondered how much of this treatment Lucas had suffered over the years. She just wanted it to end and for Wolenczak to be put away for good.

They sat together after they had eaten and she put her arm around him, and he snuggled into her warmth. They were outside for quite a while in silence when Curtis came out to smoke a cigarette. He offered her one but she said she didn't smoke.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"A safe place." he replied giving nothing away.

"I'm glad you liked the shepherd's pie." she carried on, "If you get me some apples I can make an apple crumble or an apple pie."

"I'd like that" he replied, seeming to begin to relax.

"Where did you meet Mr Wolenczak? Oh!" She jumped at the kick she received to her back and the hand yanking on her hair. Wolenczak was standing over her.

"Do you know what happened to the curious cat?" he whispered in her ear. He had now pulled her up so that she was facing him. '_He's not really that tall'_ she thought as she didn't have to look up very far to see into his dark eyes.

"I asked you a question."

She couldn't remember what it was as her mind wandered.

He punched her, as he said each word.

"What, happened, to, the, curious, cat?"

"She… was … killed…" she gasped.

"Good," said Wolenczak, "So now you know consequences of actions."

"What are you looking at?" he stared down at Lucas.

Lucas looked away and then said very shakily, "Why are you doing this to Cara?"

Wolenczak pushed her out of the way and sat by Lucas who visibly shrank into the corner of the step. Wolenczak grabbed Lucas, pulled him over his knee, and said, again with a hard smack for each letter, "B e c a u s e h e r n a m e i s B r i d g e r"

He pulled Lucas off his knee and then got up.

"Let's go out." he said to Curtis. "Put him in the cupboard." and you, he looked at Cara – there's polish in the kitchen, I want this place smelling of beeswax when we get back.

Curtis lifted Lucas easily and dragged him off. Cara couldn't see where he was taking him. But a slap across her face brought her back and she went into the kitchen. As soon as the men left, she checked the car had gone and she went to find where Lucas was. "Lucas!" no reply, she wandered around the house calling his name, but couldn't hear anything.

She stopped, '_Lucas_' she thought, '_where are you_?' she kept her mind focussed and slowly heard, '_basement_' she went down stairs and tried all the doors several were locked. The one at the end when she tried it, she heard muffled sounds. They had gagged him. She tried the lock and concentrated very hard, she put her hand on the lock and she felt the mechanism turning. She went inside, it was dark and small, Lucas was not only gagged he was chained as well around his ankle. She put her hand on the lock and it opened.

She helped him out and took his gag off.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"I'm not too sure. In times of stress my mind can do some very strange things. My family have always had extra abilities but we keep it quiet as I never fancied being studied at an institute."

"Are Freya and Kit telepaths?"

"I think so, they may be but they've never been in a stressful situation yet, thank goodness." She turned to him. "Come and keep me company and when they get back you can come down here again. They will never know. So that's what he did,

"Don't help me." said Cara as Lucas was beginning to take a duster, "Because you will smell of polish and Wolenczak will know."

"OK" he said. They talked while Cara was working. Lucas went to see if there was any computer equipment in the house which he could not find – only a phone line without a phone.

"I wonder what he did with our mobile phones?" asked Cara.

"I'll start to look." Offered Lucas.

Time passed quickly and it began to get dark. They heard the car coming back, Lucas went downstairs went back into the cupboard, closed the door which locked replaced his gag and chains and waited. For the first time he felt hopeful that they had actually managed to deceive his father, and if they could to it once, they could do it again. The men seemed very cheery when they came back.

"Hey doll we're home." shouted Curtis.

"Get us coffee." ordered Wolenczak. They went into the living area and Cara went into the kitchen.

She took the coffee out with some biscuits she had made. She put the tray down. Curtis pulled her onto his knee. "Well thank you little lady, I'm sure there is something else you could do for me later on." she shivered and he laughed and stood her up again slapping her behind.

"Have you been looking for Lucas?" asked Wolenczak

"Yes." She said, there was no point in lying.

"Yes what?"

"Yes I have."

He stood up and walked towards her. She stood her ground. She was terrified but she stood her ground.

"I'll say one thing for the Bridger family," as he punched her in the stomach, "They are stubborn and strong willed." He then pulled her hair and smacked her across the face.

"Lay off the face, Lou, we want her looking nice for the party. We can show them off remember and no one wants to pay for bruised faces. They can bruise them after they have finished but we want to get top dollar for both of them."

Obligingly Wolenczak turned her round and delivered some very hard slaps across her back.

"So did you find Lucas?"

"Yes I did."

"What I can't hear?"

"Yes I did find Lucas." She said louder.

He beat her again.

"So..."

"Mr Wolenczak." she finally said.

"Get to the basement and go to sleep. I want you up early to do some washing and the breakfast."

"Can Lucas come out of the cupboard?"

He raised his hand.

"Ask nicely."

"Please Mr Wolenczak can Lucas come out of the cupboard?"

"No he can stay there all night."

"But…" she was interrupted.

"Come on little lady I'll take you downstairs. I got me an itch that you can scratch."

As they went down the stairs she could feel his hands on her back and he started to take her top off.

"My lady you took at good beating there." he said as they went into the basement,

"Up you go." he said lifting her on to the table. "I want to see your face."

His breath was all over her and she closed her eyes. She could feel his body on hers and smell him. When he finished he got up and she saw Wolenczak behind him. "Get up and turn round" he said. He pulled her hair back and pushed her over the table. By the time he had finished she was exhausted. He went and locked the door behind him and she went over to the makeshift bed of blankets and sank on to it. As Lucas was not with her she could cry herself to sleep, begging that Michael and Nathan would find them soon before she gave up all hope.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When she finally fell asleep she dreamed of nothing until she was woken up with shouting outside.

"You filthy wretch," it was Wolenczak's voice

"I'm sorry, I … I was in there for so long and I couldn't let you know."

"Get up those stairs, I'll show you what happens to babies!"

There was noise outside the room and then silence. Cara couldn't stand it any longer; she went to the door and opened the lock as she was really worried about Lucas. She went up the stairs and into the kitchen and out of the back Lucas was standing naked and Wolenczak had turned the hose on him. She saw how thin he was and covered in bruises and welts and stripes.

"Stop, please!" She shouted, "that's enough!"

Wolenczak stopped, "Curtis why did you let her out? Curtis?"

Curtis walked out of the door behind her and had obviously just woken up.

"Who? I didn't."

Wolenczak stopped the hose pipe. Lucas was shivering and she went to him and put her arm around him.

"Do you know that your precious Lucas wet himself in the night?"

"He was locked up for hours, with no means of moving or letting you know – what else do you expect?"

"He's going to clean it up and you are doing the washing, but," he came towards me "What I want to know is…how did you get up here?"

"I came up the stairs." she replied

"But how did you get out of the room?"

"I opened the door."

"It was locked."

"It can't have been." She really tried to make her voice not falter when she answered. She didn't want Wolenczak finding out she was a telepath that could move objects.

"I locked it and I still have the key"

"It must be a faulty lock." she said simply. "I'll get breakfast. Please Mr Wolenczak can I take Lucas inside."

Wolenczak was looking at her, she could tell that he was wondering how she opened the locks and because he was so pre occupied he just nodded his head slightly. She didn't wait for him to change his mind. She took Lucas in got a towel from the airing cupboard and made a hot drink of blackcurrant juice that was in the pantry. While he was drinking she made a breakfast of eggs, bacon, onion and mashed potatoes from the previous night. She laid the table, made coffee and put the toast in the toaster.

Curtis and Wolenczak came into the room. Lucas was sitting in a corner having drunk the blackcurrant and trying to look as furniture like as possible.

"This is really swell, you are a very good cook." Said Curtis.

"Thank you," she said. "Mr Wolenczak may we have something to eat as well?"

Wolenczak had been staring at her all through breakfast.

"Use the bread."

"May I toast it please Mr Wolenczak?"

"Quickly, we have to go out soon. Do the washing and you," he turned to Lucas; "I want your mess cleaned up by the time I get back."

"Yes, sir."

"If you go where you shouldn't or try to snoop around, God help you when I get back."

With that they left. Cara toasted some bread and gave Lucas some slices with butter on. She also gave him some milk to drink and she had the same. Cara washed the dishes and then started to wash the pile of clothes that had been left. There was an ancient washing machine that looked like a twin tub, but it was very hard work. She washed their clothes as well. Lucas had gone down to the cupboard to wipe it out. He had refused to let her clean it. The time passed and she was very busy, washing, putting clothes into the spinner and hanging them out on the huge lines in the back garden. She had a sink full of suds when Lucas came into the kitchen – she smiled to herself.

"Lucas, come here please." He came over, "can you see what that is?" She pointed out of the window. He looked shook his head and turned to her. "I ca…" he was stopped by a huge ball of bubbles being pushed into his face.

"Gotchya!" she laughed.

He was so taken aback then he leaned over and took a handful and pushed it into her face. A soap and suds fight ensued with them both laughing and covering each other with suds. The floor was soaking and they were slipping and sliding everywhere. They were making so much noise that they did not hear the door open and the men return. Curtis walked in first, and slipped halfway across the kitchen.

"What the..?

Cara and Lucas looked horrified for a moment and they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Wolenczak walked in after Curtis. He was not laughing. He grabbed hold of Lucas and Cara's arm.

"Downstairs." He snarled. Curtis got up rubbing his back, "I'll teach them to set me up." He threatened.

Wolenczak let go of Cara's arm and pushed her towards Curtis. He turned to look at her and smiled.

It was the type of smile that was a threat.

He took Lucas over to the table; "Over" he said and went towards the cupboard. He held the whip in his right hand.

"No" She shouted, "I started it, it's my fault."

Lucas leaned over the table. Wolenczak raised his arm and brought the whip down so hard onto Lucas's back that the table shuddered and Lucas cried out in pain.

"Now, Mrs Bridger." Wolenczak said, "you have the power to cut short my son's discomfort." He slashed down again. Lucas cried out again. Wolenczak turned to face me. "How did you unlock the door?"

"I don't know."

"Wrong answer" Slash.

"Please" She begged, "I really don't know – I just put my hand over it and it unlocks – that's all I know. My mother could do it and I can too. I really don't know how. I just can sometimes. Please don't hurt Lucas any more. It was my fault and I don't know how I undo the locks." She was now crying, she didn't realise it until she actually sobbed out loud.

"I think she's telling the truth, Lou." Said Curtis.

Wolenczak lifted the whip again.

"Please I don't know, you know I would tell you if I knew. You know I wouldn't put Lucas's safety at risk." She was shaking now.

He put the whip down, bent down to Lucas and said, "Stay."

He came over to Cara, pulled her arm towards the door. He locked the door and pointed to the lock. "Show me."

"I can't do it all the time." She whispered. He turned back round to walk towards Lucas, "But I'll try," she said,

She put her hand to the lock and they heard a click. Wolenczak turned the handle and the door opened. Curtis gasped.

Wolenczak pulled her round to him and said, "Well this is very interesting, I'll have to think about this."

Then he went back over to Lucas and started whipping him.

"You lying bastard," shouted Cara really wishing she could knock him out with the same power she had to open the locks. She ran over to him and shoved him with all her might before Curtis could catch her. Wolenczak was not expecting it and he overbalanced and fell over the chair. Lucas straightened up and Cara immediately pulled him behind her. Wolenczak got up, he was blazing mad.

"Curtis!" he shouted Curtis came up and grabbed Lucas. Wolenczak came towards Cara. She was exhausted now from the exertion of opening the lock and pushing Wolenczak out of the way. He easily grabbed her and pushed her over the table. He ripped her top off her back and started beating her with the whip. She gasped but resolved she would not give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out. She was so mad at him, her anger enabled her to stay silent. At some point Lucas was pushed next to her and he received the same treatment.

'_Remember Lucas, we can do this' she thought_

'_I know'_ he replied

'_We can do it'_

She didn't know who blacked out first, but when she woke she was tied to the table legs and Lucas was chained to the wall at the other end of the room.

Lucas was already awake.

"Lucas I am…"

Lucas didn't give Cara time to apologise. "We're in this together. I love you, you give me strength and the sight of Curtis skidding past us on the floor and you pushing my father out of the way will stay with me for a very long time. We are family and we stay together."

It was the first time he had been the positive one in their imprisonment. She was so glad.

They stayed in silence for a while and then Cara wondered if she could untie ropes as well. She concentrated very hard and felt the knots untying. She was really pleased with herself.

"Lucas," she said softly, "I can untie the knots."

"You're amazing." He smiled. They were left alone and when it got dark and there was no sign of Wolenczak she moved over to Lucas and undid his chains.

"Come on," she said and moved over to their makeshift bed. Lucas joined her and they fell asleep.

They were woken up by Curtis.

"Wake up. You too are so comfortable. I wish I found you a long time ago." He said, "I want to see a bit of life to get me hot. Get up!"

Cara did not like the sound of that and resisted as he pulled her arm. She got a slap across the face for her effort. Wolenczak was behind them.

"What do you have in mind, Curtis?"

"Something to have as a keepsake, which we may use later on."

"Get on the table." He ordered Cara. "Lie down. You" he grabbed Lucas, "Get up there"

He pulled Cara's top off and placed Lucas's hands on her breasts.

"No!" they both shouted and Lucas tried to pull away.

Wolenczak strode to the cupboard and brought out the whip. He struck Cara and Lucas over any part of their bodies he could see leaving welts across them.

"When you are told to do something, DO IT!"

Cara stared into Lucas's eyes.

'_Lucas I am so sorry'_ she thought.

Curtis made Lucas stroke Cara's breasts and ordered her to help Lucas.

"I can't." she pleaded.

Curtis grabbed her hands and put them onto Lucas's thighs; he moved them up and down gently. It had the desired effect.

"Guide him." ordered Curtis. Cara had no option but to obey.

"Right, off you go. Show me you are a man."

Lucas could not fight against Curtis and he could not fight against nature. He began moving rhythmically.

'_Cara I'm sorry I can't stop myself.'_

'_It's alright Lucas you are very gentle just let it happen.'_

They both had their eyes closed.

Finally Lucas shuddered and collapsed onto Cara.

"Bravo!" shouted Curtis, "I couldn't have directed it better myself."

"You pevert!" Cara spat at him when she realised that Wolenczak had been filming everything.

Wolenczak and Curtis laughed. "My turn now kid." Curtis pulled Lucas off Cara and mounted the table himself. When he had finished he turned to Lucas. "That's how you do it, kid or perhaps your old man will show you."

"Up." ordered Wolenczak to Cara.

"No Dad, leave her alone, please."

Wolenczak laughed, "Watch how it's done, Lucas." And with that he grabbed Cara and pushed her over the table. His ferocity made her sob out loud. Lucas went forward but Curtis stopped him. He was horrified; Curtis held his face so he had to watch. He felt so helpless that he couldn't do anything for Cara, in the end he tried really hard to think, '_be brave'_ and hoped she had heard him. After Wolenczak had finished he slapped Cara very hard and said, "Get me some breakfast, we need to do some more filming and I don't want the light to fail." She pulled on her top and went upstairs to get the breakfast for them. She still couldn't take in the fact that after she had been brutalised by Wolenczak and Curtis, they expected her to become a domestic servant and cook and clean for them. She knew for some women it was a way of life. She swore to herself that when she got away from these men she would do something for the charity that helped abused women.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

She asked for food for Lucas and herself and when they were eating she went down the stairs to give Lucas food.

"Cara, I am..."

"Lucas what has happened to us is not our fault."

"It was my first time," he said simply.

"Oh," she went over and hugged him. "You should be with someone you love and it should be very special. I am sorry Lucas. This nightmare will end. I know it will." She couldn't think of anything else to say.

After they ate Cara was called up by Wolenczak to clear up.

"Right come on its time we gave the Bridger Brothers a message," stated Wolenczak. He pulled Cara downstairs.

"Sit there and read this,"

She looked at the piece of paper he had given her.

'Nathan and Michael there is no point in looking for Lucas or me. Mr Lawrence Wolenczak is taking back what is rightfully his and will bring his son up as he sees fit. Lucas has become very disrespectful and needs to be brought back into line. I feel that I need a change in the direction in my life and I have formed a friendship with Mr Edward Curtis. Goodbye to you all from both of us.'

"No!" she gasped, "I'm not going to read this."

"What did you say?" whispered Wolenczak.

"No, I'm not going to…"

That was as far as she got. Wolenczak strode over to Lucas, took off his belt and walked toward Lucas.

"You bastard. Alright." She knew Wolenczak had won.

Wolenczak came to her and backhanded her so severely that she thought he had broken her cheek bone and she felt blood inside of her mouth. As she brought her hand to her mouth, she felt blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as well.

"That's for wasting my time." He spat. "Ready Curtis?"

"You don't have to do this, Cara." Lucas spoke quietly. "You can…oh!"

The force of the slap knocked Lucas to the floor.

"And stay there." Shouted his father.

Cara looked into the camera and read the short statement, but at the end she couldn't help herself she just shouted, "Find us, and help Lucas. Ooh!" Wolenczak had slapped her across the face and Curtis just moved the camera long enough to get Lucas in the shot.

"We'll get this off to the Bridger Boys and see how they like it." Wolenczak laughed and went out. Cara went over to Lucas.

"Come on Lucas, they have gone, we are on our own for a while." It suddenly occurred to Cara that she had no idea what the time was, she had no idea how long they had been with Wolenczak and Curtis and no idea when she last had a wash.

They were left alone.

Completely out of the blue Lucas asked, "Do you think my dad and Kristin will get married?" For a horrified moment, she thought he meant Wolenczak and then realised he meant Nathan.

She had no idea why he was asking now, but anything to keep their minds off where they were was a welcomed distraction.

"Well they are getting very close and it would be lovely to see Nathan with a partner again. Kristin is so full of life and funny and intelligent – I think they will be great together."

"What was Carol like?"

"She was such a gentle soul, and she adored Nathan. They met when they were at university and were inseparable ever since. She was kind and funny and so caring. The girls loved her very much and she was a good friend to me. When she became ill it was heartbreaking seeing them both suffer so much. I was only pleased that Robert wasn't there at that time. They had each other when he disappeared but Nathan was so alone when Carol was ill. We were there as much as we could be but when she became very ill she asked that we didn't bring the girls as she did not want them seeing her so poorly. Kit was nearly four when she died. She used to spend ages with them saying that she would like some little girls of her own and Nathan said that he's buy ours! We had some really good times together."

She smiled at Lucas.

"And now Nathan has found his new family with you and Kristin. We can be one big happy family together."

He came over to her and they put their arms around each other. The huge question of how they were ever going to get out of this hung like a weight between them.

"What do you say we go and find out what's the other side of the woods? We can't escape yet, but we could go and see what's there."

"Yes." said Lucas.

"If Wolenczak catches us…" Cara left the sentence unfinished as they both knew they didn't want to think of the consequences.

"We'll only be gone a few minutes." Lucas added.

They climbed the stairs and went out of the back door. She didn't expect the sunshine as their lives were filled with bleakness and darkness and so somehow she expected the weather to be the same, but no it was a beautiful day. They crossed the back garden and went into the woods. It was cool in there and they walked towards the other end of the woods, keeping the house on their backs. Unexpectedly they came across a small lake nestled between some of the tall pine trees. The sun was reflecting off the surface making hazy circles of light dance on the water. It looked so appealing.

"Do you think it's safe to swim in the water?" asked Lucas.

"I have no idea," replied Cara, "You are the genius here, but there doesn't seem to be any slime on the top and it looks clear.

"Yes," smiled Lucas." Are you going to swim in your clothes?" he asked.

She hadn't thought about that. She would love to take here clothes off, what was left of them, her top was barely hanging on to her body and her skirt was torn, but she couldn't take her clothes off around Lucas. Despite all the humiliation she had been through she still had some sense of modesty.

"No, they need a wash."

"Ok." he said and waded into the lake. She joined him. It was magic. The water was so calming and it seemed to fit over their bodies like a velvet blanket. It was cool and relaxing. They floated, and talked about nothing at all, almost sub consciously trying to forget what was back in the house. They had of course forgotten the time or whether to check if Wolenczak and Curtis were back.

"Get out of the water now!" shouted a voice that sent shivers down their spine. It was Wolenczak...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Swimming – we just w…"

He cut her off. "I told you not to go outside." He was cool and calm.

Cara and Lucas both knew they were in trouble and came out of the water together.

Wolenczak grabbed their arms. He had a vice-like grip. He dragged them through the woods and up to the house.

"Get down stairs!" he ordered.

Cara's heart sank. Lucas just tried to think of nothing.

As they came closer to the basement she smelled something hot. Wolenczak pushed the two of them inside the basement room and locked the door. Without speaking he pulled Lucas to one wall and chained his wrists so that he was facing the wall and did the same to Cara on the opposite wall. He knew she would not unlock the chains while he was there.

She looked at Lucas who was twisting his neck round staring at Curtis. Cara looked and wasn't sure what it was she was watching. Curtis had a type of inside barbeque that had coals on it, but instead of meat on it there was a piece of metal sticking up out of the coals.

"I have told you, you belong to me. Everything you do is because I have told you to do it. Lately you have been forgetting that. So I am going to remind the two of you that I own you and what I say you do." Wolenczk paused.

"Now who shall we have first to learn their lesson?" He looked from Lucas to Cara and back again.

"Lucas."

Then he turned to Curtis– "Hold him."

Wolenczak pulled the rod out of the fire. It had something at one end – he brought the rod closer to Lucas. Lucas closed his eyes, "Please don't."

Cara had no idea what was happening, she couldn't see as Wolenczak was in the way, she heard Lucas shout out and then she smelled burnt flesh. He had branded Lucas! She couldn't react she just stared. Wolenczak calmly walked back and put the branding iron in the fire once more. Lucas was slumped down, his arms held above his head by the chains. She could see something on his left shoulder a mark, brown and red but she couldn't read it. She was terrified.

Curtis poked the iron into the fire. "Ready," he said.

"Hold her," ordered Wolenczak. Curtis came over and took hold of her neck and pushed it down.

She could feel the heat coming towards her. Suddenly a burning pain ripped through her back and she smelled her own burning flesh. It was excruitiating she took in a deep breath. The pain didn't move it was being pressed onto her back. She tried to control her breathing she was determined she wasn't going to give them the pleasure of hearing her scream as well. But she couldn't help herself as the yell escaped her lips

She felt Curtis's hands leave her and she slumped towards the wall as if her legs were unable to sustain her weight.

"You are one brave sassy lady." Whispered Curtis.

"And you are one sick bastard," she managed to reply.

"Bring her here." Came the voice of Wolenczak.

Curtis undid her chains and picked her up as she crumpled onto the floor.

He put her down in front of Wolenczak. The pain coming from her back was radiating all over her body.

"Do you want to know what it says?"

"Go to Hell."

He was going to slap her across the face.

"Hey Lou remember what we said about the party."

Wolenczak moved his face very close to hers. "It says property of Lawrence Wolenczak PoLW to remind you two that you are mine."

"When Michael and Nathan find us, you will have PoSP – property of state prison on you."

For a moment she thought he was going to hit her but he laughed.

"They will never find you."

"Yes they will."

"They will have given up by now."

"You obviously don't know what family is." She retorted, looking straight into his eyes. He might have beaten and raped her, he may have abused Lucas in front of her, but he wasn't getting the better of her when he was talking about her family looking for them. Michael and Nathan would never ever give up.

Wolenczak was now seething, any amusement was clearly forgotten. He saw her defiantly looking at him. He punched her in the stomach several times, causing her to double up and fall to the floor. He kicked her in the ribs and back. He took off his belt and beat her; she couldn't move and had to let him wear out his anger on her.

The last thing she heard was Curtis's voice telling Wolenczak to stop.

She woke up alone, in a different room, it was very small. Her body ached and her back burned.

'_Lucas'_ she thought really hard, '_Lucas can you hear me?_' She tried several times and was so relieved when she heard him, _'Cara I'm still in the basement. I am still chained to the wall.'_

'_I have no idea where I am, in a small room somewhere but not the one you were in, 'How are you? How is your back?'_

'_Burning and yours? Why has he separated us?'_

'_It's to punish me, I really pissed him off and once the physical punishment ended I think it wasn't enough for him and so I'm in solitary at the moment.'_

'_Did he beat you after he branded you?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_Why?'_

'_Because I said that Michael and Nathan would never give up on us and that he had no idea what family was.'_

'_But everything you said was true!'_

'_Yes but he doesn't like it. __And you have got to keep on remembering it because it's what keeps us going, and the fact that we have each other in this hell hole.'_

'_I don't know what I would have done on my own.'_

'_Neither do I, you give me the courage to carry on.'_

'_But if it wasn't for me…'_

'_I would be a lot worse off. Lucas I love you and so does Nathan and Kristin and Michael and the girls and the Seaquest crew, you have so much family they will be coming out of your ears.'_

Lucas was about to reply and was smiling when Wolenczak came into the basement. Wolenczak just caught a glimpse of the smile before Lucas bowed his head and stared at the floor hoping to blend into the background.

"What's so amusing, boy?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking of something that happened a while ago. Please where's Cara?"

"Aunty Cara not here to protect you from your nasty old Daddy then?" Wolenczak taunted and came towards Lucas.

Lucas held his breath.

Wolenczak came very close. "You are pathetic, what are you?"

Lucas was silent. He knew what was coming, whether he said it or not, it would be some other mistake if it wasn't this one.

"I asked you a question." Wolenczak grabbed Lucas's arm and hauled him up.

"Do you know that it's disrespectful to ignore your father? And it is disrespectful to ignore one of my orders by going outside. I shall have to teach you some respect.

Lucas was still chained to the wall and had no way of protecting himself. Wolenczak walked over to the cupboard and retrieved the long thin whip.

"Now tell me what you are?" Wolenczak brought the whip down over the full length of Lucas's back and legs. Lucas took a sharp intake of breath but said nothing. Wolenczak beat him telling what a waste of space he was and that nobody would care for him. Wolenczak's voice seemed to fade away.

'_Lucas I know you are in pain, concentrate on my voice, you can get through this. Try to let sleep come to you. You have made him mad because you won't give him what he wants. He wants to own you and he never will because you are a strong free spirit and you are better than him.'_

She kept on talking to him as he drifted into unconsciousness. As Lucas slipped down and hung by the chains, Wolenczak spat and threw the whip away. He was unfulfilled. Something had happened to the boy. He seemed to be distant. The thought crossed Wolenczak's mind that it might be something to do with the influence Cara had on him. He was in two minds about her, she was a bad influence on Lucas and she was very strong willed, but having her, hurt two Bridger brothers and doubled Nathan Bridger's guilt. She was also a good distraction to vent his anger on and she kept Curtis amused. In addition, she was also going to be an asset at the party they were going to have and be a source of income. This ability to undo chains and locks was yet an untapped resource that he had to look into. He left the room, not even bothering to look back at Lucas.

Cara sat for ages in the room. She had no idea how long she had been there. She knew that Lucas had passed out. She was trying to work out how they could escape, or how to let Michael and Nathan know where they were. Everytime she thought of something she drew a blank. The obvious way was to have Lucas do something with a computer to send a message. She knew he was absolutely amazing at computers. She herself was quite computer illiterate. She could word process work, and copy pictures that she needed for school, but Michael usually laughed at her lack of understanding about anything electronic. Of course it would have helped if there was some computer equipment in the house, but after an extensive search Lucas could not find anything – not even a wire!

Lucas awoke with his arms above his head still chained to the wall he could not feel them as they were numb. His first thoughts went to Cara.

'_Cara are you still there?'_

'_Of course no one has come to see me or bothered with me, but that's fine by me, I'm sure when they want something they'll come but at the moment I'm trying to think of a way we can get out of this place, or how to get a message to Michael and Nathan.'_

'_I just can't think of anything either, but I'm still going to try, there must be something we can do.'_

They both stayed silent for a long time.

'_Nope,'_ said Cara, _'Let's play a game.'_

Lucas never failed to be amazed by her, here they were both been branded and beaten by his real father, she was locked up somewhere and he was chained to the wall in a basement and she wanted to play a game. What else could they do? Despite everything he smiled. He knew what she was trying to do.

'_What shall we play?'_

'_OK for starters we have to do the game where I say a word and you have to work out what the last letter of the word is and you have to start your word with that letter.'_

'_This wouldn't by any chance a game you play with the children in the class you teach? Aren't they seven years old?'_

'_Yes, so your point is?'_

They spent ages trying to think of the most complicated words to challenge the other.

The door opening made her jump. "Who were you talking to little lady?" Asked Curtis.

"Myself."

"Well you sure seemed to be having a good time with it. Come out we want to see you."

Cara found that she was in a room at the top of the house when she came to the living room she saw Lucas standing in the doorway.

"In three days time…" Wolenczak's voice made her jump; she did not see him in the living room as well. " We shall be hosting a little get together, when you two shall be meeting some new people who have paid a great deal of money to get to know you better. For you to look your best I am taking you off your duties and you are going to concentrate on getting your bodies to look as appealing as they can. You will start by having a bath and washing your hair and shaving all your body hair off. You will do this to the best of your ability and I expect impressive results, Curtis take them to the bathroom and show them what to do."

Lucas didn't know what to make of everything and found it hard to take in what Wolenczak was saying; however not wanting to displease Wolenczak he followed Cara and Curtis up the stairs. They went into a room and saw a large bath; Curtis went over and started pouring the water into the bath. He added some bubble bath and stepped back to see the results. When he was happy he turned to Cara and Lucas. "In you both go."

"Together?" asked Cara in a very unsure voice.

"That's what the man said to me – do you want for me to check?"

"No!" said Lucas very quickly, "We understand."

Lucas carefully went over slipped off his shorts and stepped into the bath, it was heaven, and he turned round and smiled at Cara. "It's wonderful."

Cara was looking at the bath and looking at Curtis and finding it very hard to cope. However in the end she had no choice Curtis came behind her and ripped off her top and skirt.

"Get in little lady."

She was so embarrassed but noticed that Lucas had turned his head away and she slowly got into the bath and surrounded herself in bubbles. It was the best feeling she could remember in a long time.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes to wash and then I'll come back and we can start the shampooing and the shaving."

He walked out and closed the door. Lucas spoke first. "Is it alright if I turn round now?"

Cara took a deep breath, "Yes of course, I'm being silly but I just find it hard that you see me without any clothes on."

"But you have seen me."

"I know and I feel bad that I seem to have a real hang up about myself. Think of everything you have been through and I'm getting uptight about you seeing me naked. Good God, with what's happened to us you would think I would get things into perspective!"

Lucas wanted to help her out and so changed the conversation.

"I've never had a bath with anyone else before."

"Well, now I'm having a bath with a gorgeous young man."

"Do you think I'm gorgeous?"

"Yes of course I do, you are very attractive, Lucas, look how popular you were on Node 3 and how fond Juliette is of you. When you are walking out there are loads of girls looking at you, didn't you notice?"

"No."

"Oh Lucas I love you. I always see the admiring faces of the girls when you pass by. Freya's friends think you are just so hot – but don't tell her I told you or she would die of embarrassment."

"This bath is so good isn't it?" He changed the subject again not wishing to carry on this conversation.

"Yes" she agreed, "Let's show willing and begin washing."

There were soft flannels on the side of the bath. They began rubbing themselves.

"Turn round and I'll do your back."

Lucas did so and Cara took a sharp intake of breath. His back was so scarred and the brand was still very red along with the area around it. PoLW blazed out on his left shoulder blade. She was as careful as she could be and when she turned round for Lucas, he was so gentle with her. Lucas felt exactly the same horror when he saw Cara's back close up. It was scarred and bruised and the brand stood out so clearly. He also noticed that she had lost a great deal of weight.

Curtis came back in and showed them were the shower attachment was for washing their hair. She let some water go out of the bath and knelt up and carefully shampooed and rinsed Lucas's hair. He did the same for her. They both felt it was so soothing and could have carried on with this for a long time, however, Curtis came back in and gave them a razor each to shave their body hair.

"It all comes off – you can help each other, we want you to be like you are new born babes. If you don't I'll do it for you."

"We can manage," replied Lucas very quickly.

They looked at each other. "Let's see how far we can get on our own and we'll take it from there." suggested Cara. Lucas nodded. Underarm, Legs and body was alright. Cara nearly died when she had to start on her pubic hair. She had to help Lucas and he had to help her.

As she was shaving Lucas, nature began to take over.

"I am so sorry Cara, I don't mean to."

"It's alright Lucas; let's just get this over and done with. I've turned my embarrassment chip down to low, I can't tell you how I don't want to be here, but I would much rather you shaved me than Curtis and I am sure you feel the same." Again Lucas nodded, trying with out success to keep his mind off where Cara's gentle hands where and how his body was reacting to it. He also felt exactly the same when he had to shave her.

"Oh God," he moaned.

They hadn't noticed Wolenczak come in with the camcorder until they heard him say to Curtis, "Another one to add to the collection." He turned directly to Lucas and Cara. "Get out and let me have a look."

They both stepped out. "Turn round." he ordered. "Good." It was the first time Lucas had heard his father admit they had done something of which he approved.

Now you both need some oil on to moisturise. Lucas put this onto Mrs Bridger. Make sure you cover everywhere." They were both so embarrassed. Curtis was filming again as Lucas gently rubbed his hands all over her body and again as Cara covered Lucas with the oil.

"Lou," said Curtis, "They are both so hot!"

"Later."

Curtis handed them towels and towelling robes.

"Downstairs." he ordered.

They got to the basement and saw that a thin mattress and duvet replaced the pile of blankets they had been sleeping on.

As Cara put her hands up to towel dry her hair, her wedding ring flew off her finger.

Lucas went to get it but Wolenczak stopped him and picked it up himself.

"An omen," he smiled and turned to Cara, "your husband has abandoned you at last."

"Liar!" shouted Lucas.

"Come here you insolent brat!" Wolenczak grabbed Lucas, took off his belt and began beating him. "I am you father and I have power over you Lucas. What do I have, tell me!" It took quite a while for Lucas to answer, the lashes from Wolenczak's belt getting faster and harder.

"Power." Lucas finally whispered.

Wolenczak stopped and smiled.

"You sick bastard." gasped Cara.

Wolenczak went over to Cara, "I expect you both to be here when we return." She looked at him and didn't want to argue, she just wanted to go to Lucas.

"Yes, Mr Wolenczak." At that moment she felt utterly defeated.

The men left Cara and Lucas alone. She looked at her finger her ring was gone; the one Michael gave her sixteen years ago. Silent tears fell down her face. Lucas put his arm around her. It was his turn to be strong.

"We'll get it back, Cara."

He didn't fear his father now he was just so angry. He had put up with so much over the years. He had taken beatings and abuse and tried to hide it because he was ashamed and also because he did not know where he would end up if he was taken from his parents.

Then came Seaquest and Nathan Bridger. The man who showed him what real love was. The man who showed that he cared for Lucas and put Lucas's well being above everything else. Next came friendship with Ben, Tony, Miguel, Dagwood, Katie, Jonathan and Kristin. Finally, he had an extended family with Michael, Freya, Kit and most of all Cara. She was the one who found out about the abuse and ended the nightmare for him. He was now Lucas Bridger. He owed so much to them all. She was full of fun and full of love and always put everyone in front of herself and now she was in his arms. Her last link to Michael gone, her wedding ring in the clutches of his father. She had put up with so much, the pain and the humiliation – he knew he had to be strong for her. In a complete role reversal, she fell asleep in his arms and he rocked her gently.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When they woke up they found a set of clothes for each of them – they were plain black jog pants and black T shirts. They both felt more protected than they had felt in a long time. Curtis came in with a box and left it on the table.

"I want you to practise your make up – eye liner and blusher for you both and choose some appropriate eye shadow. Show the boy what to do."

"What makes you think I know? I hardly ever wear make up."

"Well little lady," Curtis replied, "You better learn quickly. I'll give you half an hour and then you can try on your costumes. We want to see what you look like."

Cara went to the box and looked inside, there was a selection of make up and she picked a grey eye liner. She went over to the small bathroom and had a look in the mirror which had been put up. The face of a stranger looked back at her. Her face was thinner than she remembered. Her hair was scrunched up and fell in uneven waves and curls to just above her shoulders but her eyes looked dark and haunted. She had an attempt at eyeliner and some dark eye shadow and traced the shadow under her cheekbones with blusher she found some lip gloss and put it on.

"Lucas, your turn." He came towards her. "Let's sort you out."

"Cara, you look really stunning." He simply said.

"Well thank you, but I don't feel it."

She carefully applied eyeliner around Lucas's eyes and the very smallest hint of eye shadow. He had amazing bone structure and so she emphasised it with the blusher.

"You know," she looked at him, "I always thought I would be doing this with Freya first."

They smiled at each other. She kissed his nose. "Oops! she laughed and wiped off lip gloss.

Curtis came back and looked at them both.

"Not bad, but you need darker eye liner – choose black and your lips need to be darker. Now try these on." He handed a box to each of them. Lucas opened his, inside was what looked like a black belt with pieces of soft leather attached to it. Cara had the same but her pieces of leather were longer and she had what looked like a very small leather corset.

"On now!" ordered Curtis.

Lucas slipped his jog pants off and stepped into the belt, he then found a fastening so stepped out of it and put it around his waist. It now looked like a short tunic the pieces of leather were only attached to the belt and not to each other. Cara's tunic was the same but longer than Lucas's and she was struggling to put the top on. She looked at Lucas and he went over to help her. The corset had some lacing on it. After she had put it on Lucas laced it up for her.

"Oh God." She said.

"What is it? Have I made it too tight?"

"No, it makes my breasts stick out and they are so exposed, it really emphasises them. I look like a whore."

Curtis walked up to her. "Well little lady you will be a sell out they will be queuing for you."

She felt sick. She looked at Lucas and her heart sank. He was standing tall and lean with a black leather toga on. He would be so appealing to whoever had paid for them.

"And as for you..." He went up to Lucas and slowly moved his hand up Lucas's thigh under the outfit, "You will be the desert that everyone wants."Curtis smiled. "Change your make up and come upstairs. I want to make sure we have good light for the photos."

"Please, Curtis." She looked at him. "I am forty years old. I have been married for sixteen years, I have two children and I love my husband, why are you doing this to me?"

He turned round to look at her, "Because you are so hot and you are going to earn us a lot of money. Now get up those stairs or I will show you how easy it is to whip your ass in that outfit." She shook her head and took the make-up bag and followed Curtis upstairs.

She changed their make-up and Curtis came over with mousse and did her hair. He had black wax which he coloured the ends of her hair and then moussed Lucas's hair back and behind his ears so that it emphasised the structure of his face. They had photos taken and had to pose in many positions. When Wolenczak was finally satisfied with the photos he told them to go down stairs and get changed.

Cara thankfully took the make-up off and got out of the outfit and back into the tee shirt and jog pants. Lucas did the same. He was beginning to get a knot in his stomach thinking of the day after next and what would happen. He had no idea, but he knew it would be horrendous. They spent the rest of the day quite quietly. Sometime in the afternoon, Cara said she needed some fresh air and asked Curtis if she could go and sit on the steps at the back. After a while Lucas went to see what she was doing. He opened the door silently and saw her with her feet drawn up and her hands arms around her knees looking out to the trees.

"What are you thinking about?"

"My daughters."

"They will be looked after really well, I bet they are on Seaquest and they are now in command." Lucas tried to make the conversation light, "Especially if Kit has anything to do with it."

He was pleased to see her smile.

"I have never been separated for this amount of time; I just miss them so much. But I can't continue to think of them or else I will start to cry again."

"What do you think will happen when …?" Lucas asked, he didn't have to finish the sentence.

"I have no idea, only that it's going to be really hard and I think that we shall be both spending a lot of time trying to think about different things."

"Will we be together?"

"I don't know. Shall we go and ask?"

"Who?"

"Wolenczak."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, there's no harm in asking hopefully, if we do it correctly."

"Ok." Lucas wasn't too convinced, as he remembered a lot of answers to his questions ended up being very painful.

Wolenczak was sitting in the living room at the table with sheets of paper in front of him.

"Mr Wolenczak can I ask you a question, please."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at Cara.

"What is it?"

"What is going to happen when the people come?"

"You are going to do what you are told." He looked straight at her. "In every respect."

"Will we be together?"

"Some of the time."

"Can…"

"That's enough. Leave me to do this planning." He looked down and she knew that it was the end of the conversation. Lucas and Cara went to sit in the dining room. They talked and then went down into the basement. Cara had remembered several more word games to pass the time and Curtis brought them a pack of cards so they played with them.

The next day they were left to their own devices, and were allowed to go into the back or stay in the house. Curtis had bought some magazines which they could read. They both felt that they were waiting to be sentenced or condemned and were very uneasy.

The night passed slowly for them both. They woke up frequently and had nightmares about what was to come.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They were given a very light breakfast and then told to have a shower, shave and put oil on. They were also given bath robes.

"Come here and listen well." Ordered Wolenczak, "I am going to show you the rooms that you will be using." They followed him along the hall way and he opened the door. The room was red and black. It had a large bed in the centre and it also had a large table on which was a selection of paddles, belts, whips, riding crops, rope, chains and cuffs. Next door was a mirror image of the room, but it was gold and black.

Wolenczak turned to them. "You will do anything that is asked of you. Do you understand?"

They were both silent. Lucas felt sick and Cara felt angry.

She turned round and looked at him, she knew that she would be beaten but she just had to let him know that she was not a willing participant and neither was Lucas.

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"I asked you a question."

"Yes, I understand but how can you expect me to be willing to comply?"

"Because I have told you to do it." He came over to her and pulled her tight to him and turned her round. Curtis was standing behind Lucas, stroking his hair. She shuddered.

"What do I have, Mrs Bridger?"

He nodded to Curtis who began to undo Lucas's bath robe.

"Alright!" she turned back to him, "you have power." And she held her head down.

"What time is the first client?" asked Wolenczak.

"Two o'clock."

"That gives us just under two hours." Wolenczak turned to Lucas and Cara. "Get ready; I shall come to inspect the results. Here, Curtis some perfume and cologne – put it on them yourself so that they do not waste it."

Cara and Lucas went downstairs and began to get ready.

'_It's like a dream.' She thought to Lucas._

'_I'm so scared." He replied._

'_So am I."_

They finished getting ready and went up stairs. Their stomachs were in knots and Cara began to shake. Lucas put his arm around her.

"I can't do this." She said.

"You can. Just think about what you told me. We can always be in touch, remember to talk to me." Lucas reassured her. He was being strong for the two of them now and she just leaned into him.

The doorbell rang. Curtis went to open it.

"Oh God." She whispered, and then she was so surprised as a couple were standing at the door.

"They can't be…" But she was interrupted by Wolenczak welcoming them and introducing Cara and Lucas. Cara was still shaking but Lucas seemed really calm. Cara was led to the gold room by Curtis and the man. Her mind was numb as Curtis pushed her into the room and left her with the man and closed the door. Wolenczak led Lucas and the woman to the red room. He escorted the woman inside and then pushed Lucas in with a look that told Lucas he should do anything that was asked of him. Lucas took a deep breath. As Wolenczak was closing the door he heard the woman saying, "My you are such a pretty boy, come over here."

The sessions were an hour long, with a half hour in between.

For both of them, there had been very mixed experiences from people who were lonely, to people who derived pleasure from pain and humiliation. One session had been a joint session and although Cara was pleased to see Lucas, the man who had paid for the session was someone that she never ever wanted to meet again. She noticed that Lucas had more bruises and welts on his body and she knew that she had too. After the fourth or fifth session – she could not remember they had a break. She had tried to keep in touch with Lucas at the breaks but apart from the occasional, _'Are you alright?_' they had kept quiet and just tried not to think of what was happening.

Wolenczak came to see them with a bottle of juice and some sandwiches. They drank the juice but neither of them wanted to eat anything. Cara felt like being sick at the thought of food and she had already had to run to the bathroom after one session, as she began to retch as soon as the man had left. She really wanted to hit him with something really hard, as he walked through the door on his way out.

"You have one more session booked in for this evening, it's another joint session. Remember I am watching and I want to see you perform your best." Wolenczak stared at the two of them.

"You are a sadistic monster." Cara faced him.

He came towards her and twisted her arm up her back and made her cry out. "It looks as though I need to give you some specialised training sessions before our next client afternoon."

"Leave her alone," Lucas came over and tried to lift his father's arm off Cara.

"Wait till this client has left, and you are both going to be very sorry."

Wolenczak stormed out to the kitchen.

"Lucas you were wonderful." Cara smiled while rubbing her arm, "You stood up to him, thank you." Lucas was pleased that his father had stopped hurting Cara, but knew that he would pay for it later on.

The door bell rang. Wolenczak returned to the hall.

"Cara, go and answer it, this is our last client."

Cara walked over to the door and opened it; she had the shock of her life as standing in all black, looking incredibly handsome was Jim Brody.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

She wanted to fling her arms around his neck, but of course could not. He was visibly taken aback but then hid it very well as Cara showed him into the house. She immediately looked at Lucas who had just noticed him, but Lucas was so incredibly calm, he was such a good actor. After a quick acknowledgement of Curtis and Wolenczak by Brody, who was called Mr Walsh, Cara led them both into the red room. As she passed him she whispered "bathroom" to him.

"We'll start in the bathroom." said Brody.

They went in and he closed the door.

"Thank God." sobbed Cara and put her arms around Jim.

Lucas joined in the hug, with the biggest grin on his face.

"We have to be quick," Brody whispered, he put his hand in his pocket and brought out his PAL he clicked the switch to notify his whereabouts, but nothing happened."

"The signal must be blocked."

"What does that mean?" asked Cara.

"We are on our own until we get away from the house," answered Lucas.

"How will we get out?" She was beginning to panic.

"Don't worry," said Jim and brought out a strange looking pen. Quickly he walked to the window, and made as large a circle as he could, he then used the other end of the pen which opened out into a sucker and removed the circle of glass. He turned to them, "Out we go." Jim climbed out of the window and put his jacket on the base of the circle so it would be safe, he was followed by Lucas and Cara. Jim led them to a car that was parked by the front door and they both got in.

He tried his PAL again but nothing was working.

"You'll have to clear the driveway," whispered Lucas. Brody put the car into neutral and began running with it so that the engine would not make a noise. He jumped in once the momentum started the car going towards the gates.

Cara was just beginning to think they were free when the glass from the front and back windows simultaneously burst inwards. The noise was deafening. She grabbed for Lucas. As if in slow motion the car stopped, the driver door was opened and Brody was pulled out, there was a sound like a crack and then nothing. Next, Lucas's door was opened.

"Get out." an icy voice ordered. It was Wolenczak. "Now." They both moved over and got out of the car.

Before they could think Wolenczak had put cuffs on their wrists and was dragging them towards a van. As Lucas turned round he saw Jim on the floor with Curtis standing over him.

"No!" he shouted.

Wolenczak's fist drove into Lucas's face.

"Get yourself in the van. You are going to be very sorry about this, believe me."

"What about Brody?" he asked the answer was another punch to the face.

Cara said nothing. She was so shocked at what had happened that she had stopped thinking and even functioning. She just allowed herself to be dragged along by Lucas.

Only when she was pushed into the back of a van, the door closed and locked behind her and it was quiet did she ask Lucas what had happened.

He shook his head.

Within seconds the van had started up and they were on their way. Both Lucas and Cara had no idea where they were going, but they both knew that their future seemed very bleak.

They sat in silence as the van began to pick up speed and carry on for what seemed hours, until the road beneath them began to get bumpy and the speed of the van was reduced and finally came to a halt. Nothing happened for a while. They heard the driver door open and close, footsteps and talking. There were doors opening and shutting and further talking. Finally, the back door of the van was unlocked and a voice they did not recognise said, "Get out."

Lucas led the way and Cara followed close behind as they were both still handcuffed to each other.

As they got out they saw a tall, well built man. He grabbed hold of Lucas and pulled him towards a house. Again just looking around quickly, Cara saw that this house was in the middle of nowhere. They went up the steps and were pulled through the front door into a large hall. "Wait here." The man left them on their own.

Cara and Lucas just stood next to each other taking in the decoration of the house. It was quite similar to the first house. There was noise coming from one of the rooms, she could recognise Wolenczak's voice. The door opened and out came Wolenczak followed by three men, one that brought them into the house.

"Well, Lou, what have you got here?"

"You don't want to know, they are in a great deal of trouble at the moment."

"But what a great looking woman and such a pretty boy." Came one of the comments.

A dark haired man came over to Cara and put his hands on her. "Look as though they have seen some action today."

"Yes, they have been useful and earned a good deal of money for me, but then one of their friends tried to rescue them and Curtis had to deal with him. He won't be giving us any more trouble."

Cara stiffened and Lucas gave Wolenczak a cold stare. Wolenczak came over and backhanded Lucas. "You stare at me like that boy and you are asking for trouble."

"You got any plans for these two at the moment?"

To Cara's dismay Wolenczak uttered the two hated words, "Help yourselves," he smiled a cold smile. "I can't do much till Curtis catches up."

The dark haired man put his hand on Cara's arm. "I'm first – can you uncuff them, I don't want an audience, "This way pretty lady." He pulled her towards the stairs. She looked at Lucas but there was nothing she could say. The man who got them out of the van came up and put his hand on the back of Lucas's neck. "In you come with us pretty boy, you can keep us amused until Rich has finished with your friend." As he pulled Lucas towards the room his hands began moving down Lucas's back.

The night was a very long one for both Lucas and Cara. By the time the three men were finished with them both they were completely exhausted and totally devoid of any emotion. Wolenczak had put them in a small bedroom and recuffed them to a radiator so that they would not escape. In truth neither of them was capable of walking never mind escaping. As they lay down and Wolenczak left them, they both fell into an exhausted sleep.

They didn't even realise someone had come into the room, until Lucas was kicked in the side to wake up and his jolt with the force of the kick woke Cara. It was Curtis. He had some clothes in his hand. "Get yourselves cleaned up and come downstairs." There was no smile no usual greeting for Cara. In a way she missed it but it warned her that he too was blazing mad at them. He un cuffed them and went out. Cara managed to stand and went to the bathroom. She looked at her face. Dark eyes stared back at her but she had lines travelling down her face from tears. There was a shower and she switched it on, peeled off the outfit and climbed in. She wanted to stay there until she had washed away all the dirt she thought her body was covered in after yesterday's experience. It felt good to have the water over her, but she still felt unclean and tried really hard to put yesterday out of her mind except for Jim. She had no idea what had happened to him. She shuddered as she remembered the crack which she was so sure was one of Jim's arms. Cara had no idea what Curtis was capable of, but she knew that it was serious. She prayed that Jim was alright.

As the water streamed down her hair and body, she realised that she was feeling anger towards Wolenczak more than feeling horror and guilt about what had been allowed to happen to her. She was worried about Lucas. He had been so calm through out the whole afternoon and evening. Lucas had been through so much. He was really beginning to stand up to Wolenczak in different ways.

Lucas came into the bathroom and handed Cara a towel. He too had a shower. He was just grateful that this time he didn't have to face things on his own. Having no one to talk to or turn to when he was being abused by his father had almost sent him over the edge. Now Cara was with him he had coped much better. It was selfish, he knew but he couldn't help it.

Lucas joined her and they got dressed in sweats and T shirts again. She left their costumes on the chair and they waited to see what would happen next.

"What do you think has happened to Jim?" asked Lucas. He had also heard the crack of bone and was also praying that Jim was alright.

"I don't know – I really hope he is alright as he risked a great deal to save us. I wonder how he knew where we were. Does that mean Michael and Nathan know as well?"

"No." Wolenczak's voice interrupted. They both became very quiet, not wanting to bring the wrath of their captor on them.

"Get up we are leaving." They automatically followed him. The four of them left the house and Lucas and Cara got into the back of a van. The door was locked and the van started off. Lucas didn't know how long they had been travelling or in what direction, he only knew that wherever they stopped next, his father would be punishing them for trying to escape. Lucas did not want to think of that. He thought back to yesterday, how shocked Cara had been about everything and how she still wasn't really coming to terms with how they were used. Lucas was not surprised about how they had been treated. He was sure that if his father could have found a market earlier that he would have no doubt sold Lucas to the highest bidder

He was worried about Cara, she seemed so quiet. He had not really been able to talk to her in his mind during their separate sessions but he had heard her crying out and sobbing when the clients had gone. He felt so awful that it was his fault that she had to go through this endless torture and abuse. She had been so strong and helped him so much, but he did not know what all this was doing to her. Physically she stood up to the beatings and abuse very well, but psychologically he did not know. He had spent all his life being abused by his father and so in a way his senses were dulled. She had led a very happy, secure life and had been thrown into this nightmare world of abuse for the last month.

He really thought that he was beginning to lead a normal happy family life with Nathan and Kristin and the rest of the Seaquest crew and with Cara, Michael and the girls but he was wrong. He now knew he would never escape and whoever he befriended would be pulled into this cycle of abuse.

Cara sensed that Lucas was in a very dark place and moved over and put her arm around him.

"You know that means that Nathan and Michael were very close to finding us. We can't give up now, Lucas. We have to keep trying and keep together. I know that your father is going to be very cross about the escape attempt last night and I know we are going to pay dearly for that. I don't want to think about what will happen to us. But remember we are both loved very much and no one will ever give up on us. They will keep trying until they find us and until then we have each other." She smiled, and Lucas was so pleased, it was as though the old Cara was re emerging from the sadness she was going through. She was now always there to pull him out from the dark thoughts he was having. He smiled at her and wondered how she could look so positive even when they were in such a desperate situation.

The van finally stopped as the door was unlocked and opened.

"Get out."

They both got out and waited to be told what to do. The house was old and looked very uninviting. The dark wood and drawn curtains looked very ominous.

They were pushed into the house and led into the kitchen.

Wolenczak sat on a kitchen chair and Curtis waited by the door.

"You have cost me a great deal of money and anguish with your actions yesterday. We were in the process of negotiating another session for the clients and they had told us about some of the ways in which our service could be improved and which they were willing to pay extra for and you have destroyed that. I shall have to build up a new client database…"

"What did you expect?" interrupted Cara, "That we weren't going to take the opportunity to escape from you." Wolenczak got up and backhanded her across the face.

"I haven't finished yet." He turned to Lucas. "How did you get the message to Bridger?"

Lucas looked stunned.

"I didn't."

"Don't lie to me, boy." He strode over to Lucas and held onto the t shirt.

"I repeat, how did you get a message to Bridger?"

Lucas shook his head.

"Lucas is telling the truth, we had no idea Jim would be coming."

Wolenczak looked into Lucas's face. "You are lying, and I'm going to find out the truth." He grabbed onto Lucas and pulled him with him.

"No!" Cara shouted.

"Curtis– find out what she knows."

Cara heard a door slam. She turned to look at Curtis undoing his belt. "Curtis, I swear we didn't know Jim was coming."

"Not good enough." He said.

"Please don't, I can't tell you anything else, we didn't know he was coming."

He came towards her and she backed away. He grabbed her arm and raised the belt.

Lucas was now chained up from the ceiling. His arms felt as though they were going to come out of his sockets and he was almost on tip toe. He was naked and waiting for his father to begin. He had already received a black eye and punches to his stomach and back as he was being chained.

As Wolenczak produced the long thin cane he began to talk to Lucas in a very slow menacing voice.

"No one will rescue you because you are a no body. And a no body does not have any rights. You are nothing." At each phrase he brought the cane down over Lucas's body. He demanded to know how Brody knew where to look and this was intermingled with telling Lucas how he was worthless. Lucas said nothing – only gasping as the whipping became faster as his father covered the whole of his body with the cane. As Lucas passed out he could still hear his father telling him what a useless piece of dirt he was.

The power of Curtis's arms bringing the belt over her body made her gasp. He continually kept on asking how Jim Brody knew they were in the house and she kept on repeating that she didn't know. He said he could make it easier for Lucas, but even this did not yield an answer. He finally began to think that she really didn't know how Brody turned up at the doorstep and that it wasn't anything to do with them. He stopped put his belt on and went to pick her up. "I thought I'd lost you, little lady," and he kissed her on the lips. She was stunned. It was as though he was developing feelings for her. She had no idea how to cope with this. He led her to a room upstairs. He had just beaten her and now he was going to have sex with her. After he left the room and told her to stay until he came back for her.

Panic started to rise in her. Curtis was growing fond of her in his twisted way. Then she wondered if she could use his feelings to her advantage. She didn't know what to do. She needed to talk to Lucas. She then remembered when she had last seen Lucas and the hatred in Wolenczak's eyes. She must find Lucas. She needed to find out how he was.

_'Lucas, Lucas where are you, how are you Lucas? Speak to me.' _There was nothing and she began to get worried. She tried again and again. Cara was so worried she got up and opened the door. Slowly and carefully she went down the hall way knowing that he would be down in the basement. Finding the basement door Cara pushed it open. He was hanging from the ceiling. The chains were suspending him. Lucas was in such a bad way. Cara went to speak to him, his face was battered and bruised. Going into automatic pilot and looking round for something she could stand on, she found a box and reached up and unlocked the chains whilst trying to hold his body with her own so he would not fall. As she got down off the box she sat on the floor and held onto Lucas. She stroked his face, rocked him gently and began to hum a lullaby, it was the only thing she could think to do. After what seemed to be an age, he began to stir.

"Cara?"

"I'm here."

"What did Curtis do to you?"

"Not as much as your father did to you."

"I'll be alright. I just need to rest."

"I know. I'll be here."

They were together for a long time before anyone disturbed them.

Curtis walked in.

"I might have known you'd find your way down here."

"We didn't know Jim was coming."

"I know." he said. "I believe you."

"Then why did you beat me?"

"Lou's orders, we had to be sure."

"Did he have to do this to Lucas?"

Another voice cut in. "Lucas is mine to do as I like. He needed disciplining and still does."

"You are an animal." She said. Not caring if there would be any consequences – she thought she was beyond fear but she was wrong.

He came over to her and yanked on her hair so that she was facing him. She shook at the ferocity of the action, but found she was looking into Wolenczak's dark eyes. "If you were not worth so much to me as a commodity to be rented out, I would make sure that your pretty face was not so pretty any more." He let go of her hair.

This threat really scared her as he said it with such hatred that she knew he was capable of doing something terrible to her. How did he make her feel like this?

"You will remain here until we decide what to do with you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"What did you say?"

She was so tired of fighting at the moment; she just wanted to be left alone with Lucas.

"Yes Mr Wolenczak." She said looking up at him. It seemed to satisfy him and they left.

They were left alone. She looked around the room and saw several cupboards that might yield some blankets or sheets. Like the other basement they had been in, this also had a bathroom. At the moment she didn't want to disturb Lucas as he was drifting off to sleep and he needed to rest so she put her arms round him and dozed off too. When Lucas woke, she gently eased him off her and wandered around the room. She found some pillows and blankets and sheets and was able to make up a make shift bed. She also found some T shirts and shorts. She had no idea who lived here before, but she was very grateful to them. Again there was clean water in the taps and a couple of old cups that she washed out. She took all her finds back to Lucas. She helped him into the clothes and they had some water and then settled back down on the makeshift bed. She dipped in and out of sleep. She was pleased to see that Lucas was sleeping. She kept on having dreams about Curtis being in her home with the girls and there was no Michael. She woke up in a panic and then realised it was just a dream and went off to sleep again.

Cara had no idea how long she had slept for, but when she woke up Lucas was still asleep and it looked dark outside. She kept on replaying Curtis's reactions to her and what that meant and what it meant to her. They were left alone for a long time. Lucas must have slept for hours and in that time she was pleased that he did not seem to be having any nightmares – but how he didn't was amazing. He had been through hell with his father. She had to keep reminding herself that he had been through this for years. He must be such a strong character to be the loving, kind gentle, funny person he was. Her daughters had no concept of the childhood Lucas must have had. Kit and Freya had been brought up in a loving home where Michael was a protective and doting father who put their needs above everything else. She remembered when Michael had been behind Freya when she had fallen downstairs and had a greenstick fracture in her arm. He blamed himself for not catching her and was irreconcilable for days. What a contrast to Lawrence Wolenczak. She could not imagine harming her children how could he? What had turned him into this monster? All these thoughts were still flying round her head when Lucas stirred.

"Hey."

"Hey you too, how long have I been asleep?"

"No idea, a long time so you must have needed it."

"How long do you think we have been away from the Seaquest?" she asked, "I think it must be three weeks."

"Longer I'd say, perhaps a month."

There was silence and then she turned to him. "We have to try and escape or…" she paused, "get a message to Michael and Nathan to tell them where we are."

Lucas looked at her. He knew she would never give up and for that he was eternally grateful. There were times in his life when that's just what he did because he had no fight left in him as he was all alone.

"I'll need access to a computer, a notepad or an interphone. There is a message that can be typed in, I designed it about a year ago and it will alert the Seaquest where I am."

"When you say message, what do you mean?" she asked and marvelled at his ingenuity.

"A series of digits, fourteen to be precise and the message will be sent directly to Seaquest, wherever she is."

"We just need that access point." She was thinking outloud.

"There was no access in the other house that we could see."

"There may be one in this house, you never know."

They spent the rest of the time talking and drifting in and out of sleep. They were left for a long while.

They both were planning how to find out if there was a way to escape and return to the people they loved.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thank you for the reviews. Sorry this has taken so long but work committments have been really demanding recently. Hope to publish a few chapters in succession.**

**Chapter 11**

The next morning Lucas and Cara were given jobs to do by Wolenczak. Cara was to be working in the house but Lucas was given a job of cutting wood up for the stove they had in the kitchen. After breakfast for which they were both so grateful Cara started the work inside the house and Lucas was outside.

The work was hard and tiring, Cara felt she was being turned into a house slave. Wolenczak gave her rubber gloves so that she would not damage her hands and keep them soft – she didn't even want to think of the reasoning behind that. She looked to see if she could see Lucas outside but had to be careful as she didn't want to bring the wrath of Wolenczak down on herself. After about four hours of hard graft she stopped and plucked up the courage to go and see Wolenczak.

"Shall I make a drink, Mr. Wolenczak?"

"Coffee, white two sugars and take one to Curtis, he's outside."

She did as she was told. She gave a coffee to Wolenczak and then went outside to see if she could see Lucas as she was giving Curtis his coffee.

Lucas was chopping wood. He looked tired and to her horror she saw a chain leading from his ankle to the wall, he was chained up.

"Have you had a drink?"

He shook his head. She went to find Curtis who was sorting something out in the garage.

"Here's your coffee. May I please give Lucas a drink of water?"

"Sure, little lady and then you can come back to me and collect my cup."

Lucas was pleased to see Cara and pleased that he was allowed a break to have a drink. He had been working hard too. Curtis had said that they wanted him to build up his muscles so that his body looked better. Lucas hadn't really chopped wood before and he was exhausted and his arms ached along with his shoulders and abdomen.

"Why have you stopped?" Wolenczak's voice broke the silence.

Cara immediately stood infront of Lucas.

"I did ask Curtis if I may give Lucas a drink and he said that was alright and he would call me in to collect his cup."

Wolenczak strode over to Cara. Her stomach began to knot and so did Lucas's.

"Are you playing me, Mrs Bridger?"

"No, Mr Wolenczak, I just wanted to make sure Lucas was having enough water."

"Well he has now. But I'll be watching you. I want the inside of that house sparkling." He walked away and Lucas and Cara gave a huge sigh of relief. Cara went into the garage to find Curtis to take his cup.

"Have you finished? Can I take your cup?"

"Yes I have, but I'm missing you, little lady, come over here to me." Her heart sank as she walked over to him.

Lucas hated the way Cara was used. Everytime he swung the axe he imagined doing something to Curtis or something to his father. He wanted to stand up to them, but he couldn't. He had tried to so hard for Cara's sake but he couldn't. He had put up with his father's treatment of him for so long fighting back was nearly impossible. He hated himself for how he felt. But this time it did feel different. He knew that he wasn't alone. It did mean that he had someone else to worry about, however, Lucas knew that Cara worried about him.

When she finally entered the house, she went back into the kitchen to prepare the meal and Wolenczak came storming in.

"Where have you been?"

"I was in the garage with Curtis, Mr Wolenczak." Fear was creeping up her insides.

He came over and held onto her arm very tightly. "I hope for your sake you are not lying to protect that useless son of mine..."

"No!" She interrupted, "I wasn't with Lucas, I was with Curtis. He... he..." she trailed off.

"Well I just want to make sure," he leaned out of the window, "Curtis, were you with Mrs Bridger in the garage?"

Curtis came up smiling. "I sure was, such a pretty little lady, and so obliging."

Wolenczak turned to Cara. "Very well carry on." And he walked back into the room he was in.

'_What was all that about? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?' _asked a concerned Lucas.

'_I'm fine. He didn't touch me, although Curtis did. I still think it's the power thing.'_

Lucas returned to chopping the wood. He had slowed down as everything ached. He had to bring logs from a pile outside the house and then chop them up and take them into the woodshed. The first thing that his father did before chaining Lucas up was to cut several switches and leave them on a shelf in the woodshed so Lucas would know they were there. Waiting. Lucas could move around the back of the house and into the woodshed but he was not allowed to go into the house without permission. The pile of small logs in the woodshed was growing and Lucas was getting more and more tired. Cara had left a bottle with water in it and Lucas was very thankful of this. He knew he should be trying to think of a way for them to escape, but he was just too tired. Cara cleaned and washed pots and pans that were covered in dust and prepared an evening meal. When it was about 15 minutes from being ready she slowly went towards the door that Wolenczak went behind and knocked gently.

"Mr Wolenczak, dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, shall I tell Curtis and Lucas?"

The door opened and Wolenczak appeared. "Yes. Lucas can eat outside. You can eat with us."

She was going to say something but thought the better of it. At the moment she just wanted Lucas to have some food to eat and to rest.

She went back to the kitchen making sure everything was alright and then went to tell Curtis and Lucas. Lucas was standing by the chopping block. He looked completely exhausted.

"I'm going to bring something out for you to eat. I'm sorry, he won't let you in the house but at least you are going to have some food."

He was so tired he almost couldn't acknowledge what she was saying to him, but smiled and sat down gratefully next to the wood.

"Curtis, time for dinner, its ready now."

Curtis emerged from the garage and came up to her, "It's Edward, little lady, call me Edward." Cara didn't think she could but knew it wasn't a request but an expectation.

She forced a smile. "Well come on Edward, you don't want it to get cold. Come and wash up."

Inside the kitchen, she had laid the table with three places and served the food. She had put some food onto a plate for Lucas, but when she got outside, he was fast asleep. She thought she would leave it till after everyone else had eaten and try again.

The two men were sitting down when she got back and she served them their meal and then went to sit at the end of the table with her meal.

Curtis talked about nothing in particular asking questions which she gave answers to. For most of the time she lowered her eyes trying not to catch anyone's attention and ate her food slowly, not really knowing if and when she would have her next meal.

She got up and served the pudding. Wolenczak was not saying anything but was looking at her. This made her feel very uncomfortable. She cleared the dishes away served coffee and sat back down. After coffee was finished she cleared away the cups and put water in the bowl ready to do the washing up.

"Come here." Said Wolenczak.

She obeyed, standing infront of him. "This must be quite new to you, playing at being a housewife."

"No, Mr Wolenczak, I do it all the time."

"What do your domestic staff do?"

"We don't have any."

"You mean to tell me that the great Michael Bridger cannot afford to pay for servants?"

She was getting angry now, but she knew that he was only doing this to see how far he could push her.

"We are just a normal family living in an ordinary house, we don't have servants."

"Do you mean to tell me that Nathan doesn't help you out with all the money he has."

She couldn't help herself.

"It's none of your business."

He stiffened, "What did you say?"

"I said that it doesn't concern you what my husband and I do."

"What about those lovely daughters of yours?"

"Leave them out of this, you… but she stopped herself in time.

He stood up and slapped her across the face really hard. "It's a good job for you that I want to see how good your skills for opening locks are or else, you would be very sorry by now."

He pulled her arm – "Are you ready Curtis?"

"Yes, take her to the garage."

Wolenczak pulled her along out of the house and across the back of the house to the shed. As they walked past a sleeping Lucas, Wolenczak was about to kick out at him to wake him up.

"Please don't, please let him sleep, he is exhausted."

Wolenczak turned to her and smiled, "Well it all depends on how you do in the next few minutes – if you are successful I'll leave my son alone for the time being."

'_Great' _she thought_, 'no pressure then'_

As they entered the garage at the far end she could see some safes, she walked over to them and turned to face Wolenczak. "I've never..."

"Silence, we want to investigate your potential. Open them. You know what is at stake."

She was terrified, if she could open them she knew it would lead to further work and who knows what, but if she didn't open she risked Lucas being hurt. She knew what she had to do.

Cara surprised herself at the ease at which she opened all the safes. Each time she put her hand on the safe and imagined the doors opening, and they did. Wolenczak actually looked pleased and Curtis came over and kissed her. Suddenly she felt really weak as though all the strength was draining from her. It had been a huge drain on her and she felt her knees giving way and the impression she was falling. When Cara woke up she was surprised to find she wasn't sore. Usually when she blacked out it was because she was being beaten and when she woke up she felt the impact of her injuries but this time there was so soreness just softness, she realised she was on the couch.

"Hey little lady are you alright? You did good in there. I am very proud of you."

"Yes, you did well." It was the first time Wolenczak had said anything remotely positive to her. "Now get up and make some coffee while I think of how we are going to utilise your talent. It would seem that it's not only your body that is a good earner."

"Can I bring Lucas in now?"

Wolenczak changed, "That useless piece of dirt can stay outside where he belongs."

"But it's going to get cold, please let me bring him into the basement."

"I said no."

"Why are you doing this? What possible reason do you have for hurting your own child so much, let me..." but it was too much, she realised when Wolenczak strode over to her grabbed her by the hair and dragged her outside. He went over to Lucas and kicked him in the side. Lucas woke with a start.

"Get up you lazy boy. Get to the woodshed." Wolenczak pushed Lucas with his free hand, Cara was struggling with all her might but her captor's hand was firmly holding her hair and she couldn't struggle free.

When they got inside Lucas visibly paled when Wolenczak told him to get the switch. Lucas went over to retrieve one of the switches from the window ledge he came slowly over to his father and handed the switch over to him. Wolenczak pushed Cara over the table and began setting about her with it. Lucas was stunned. It was only Cara's gasps that brought him round and into action. He couldn't think what Cara had done to merit this punishment. Cara tried really hard not to shout out even though the pain was searing across her back and through her body. She was going to try and channel her energy in thinking about escaping and trying to ignore the pain.

After Wolenczak had finished he turned to Lucas. "This is your fault you useless piece of dirt. She wanted you to come into the house and wouldn't stop until she pushed me too far." He pulled Cara off the table, torn her T shirt off her back to show the red stripes criss-crossing over themselves covering all of her back.

"Take a good look at your handiwork."

With that he pulled Cara with him and slammed and locked the door on Lucas.

Lucas just dropped onto the floor where he was, silent tears escaping down his face. The brutality of his father and the pain Cara must have gone through was all his fault. It was Lucas's turn to feel lower than he had for a long time.

When Wolenczak and Cara got back into the house, he was breathing heavily. Cara thought he was congratulating himself on mentally abusing Lucas as well as all he physical abuse he had metered out. She also knew the look in his eye when he saw her holding onto the front of her T shirt trying to keep it on. "Leave it and come here."

"Please don't." She said weakly as she knew the inevitable was going to happen.

"Come here. I will not repeat myself."

As she walked towards him he reached for her T shirt and pulled it off.

Lucas was sitting very still in the dark in the woodshed. He couldn't move far because his chain was trapped under the door. He was thinking of the first time he saw Cara on the Seaquest when Kit had pulled him into the cabin. She was sitting down, smiling from her head to her toes, listening to Kit's story and carefully answering her questions. At that moment Lucas felt the pang and the loss of not having a mother like Cara. And when she had got up and hugged him, for a moment he could almost imagine she was his. The time he spent with her and the girls was amazing and he loved going to England to be part of the family and part of the laughter and smiles that she shared with everyone that came her way. And now look at her, no smiles. A beaten and abused body and still she was still trying to protect him and look after him. He was the cause of all this, he was the cause she had been taken from her family and the life she had known. He was the cause of all the suffering she had gone through. His father was right, he was less than a piece of dirt to let a person that he loved suffer so much for him. He was just about to go over the things that had happened to Cara when,

'_Lucas, don't listen to him. It's not your fault. I'm fine. He was just in a state of flux as I had opened all the safes and he didn't know how to react. He actually said something positive to me and then I think he regretted it and so that's why it all blew up. You are not useless and you are loved and we are still going to get out of here, remember that.'_

Lucas was so surprised to hear this. He knew that she wasn't really alright but he knew that the best thing to do was to make her believe that he believed her. Complicated but in a way it would make them both feel better. Was this psychological healing he wondered?

'_Thank you it's so good to hear your voice. How did you open the safes?'_

'_No idea, I just thought of the door opening and it did.'_

'_How many safes did you open?'_

'_Five, all different ones from a small one to a really large one the same height as me. I have no idea how they were brought to the house but there you go, I performed my party trick._

_You know your father will think that you are in the woodshed falling deeper and deeper into despair and he hasn't got a clue about how we can talk to each other – we must keep our communication away from him.'_

Lucas hadn't thought of that but now Cara had commented on it he realised he was smiling. Again they had managed to foil Wolenczak's plan to destroy Lucas emotionally as well as physically.

Cara was in the basement. She too was pleased to think that they still had their secret from Wolenczak. He didn't know that Lucas wasn't alone. She knew that he was hoping to break Lucas down bit by bit, but it wasn't going to happen. After finding another top for herself and some blankets to sleep on, she fell into a deep sleep.

The next couple of days involved Lucas chopping wood and Cara working in the house. When she could she went outside with either a drink or some food as she wanted to make sure Lucas had something to eat. Wolenczak kept a very low profile and Curtis was not really bothered what Cara did as long as she was there for him when he needed her. He even undid the chain on Lucas's ankle as it was becoming very sore. Lucas still had to stay out of the house but Cara had put a couple of blankets in the woodshed so Lucas would not be too cold at night. Lucas didn't want to tell her that he was so exhausted at the end of the day that he could sleep anywhere and on anything and had no need of blankets. However they did offer some comfort against the cold.

Cara was in the kitchen peeling vegetables when Wolenczak walked in.

"I have a job for you tonight. We shall be leaving at 11pm."

"Where are we going?"

"To find out if your skills can be used outside a controlled experiment. Come with me."

She followed him into the study. He was speaking to her but she wasn't listening. Her heart started beating incredibly fast and she tried not to look at the object Wolenczak was pointing to. A sharp slap across her face brought her back to the present time.

"Cara, are you listening?"

"Sorry, Mr Wolenczak, I suddenly felt dizzy."

"As I was saying, it is this safe that I want you to open. Familiarise yourself with it so you can open it."

He must not have noticed Cara's reaction. She just couldn't wait to tell Lucas. She was staring at the screen of a lap top. One that was connected to the internet. She was looking at the way to contact Michael and Nathan. She was looking at the way home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Cara sat for a while looking at the safe. It was a large red box as far as she was concerned. It looked like the other safes she had opened. She wasn't a safe expert.

"Go and prepare the evening meal."

"Can Lucas come too?"

"No. He is the insurance. I want him where I do not have to be concerned what he is doing. It is non negotiable and if you whine, it wont be you that I take to the woodshed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak."

Cara walked slowly to the kitchen.

'_Lucas, there is a lap top and an internex connection, I have seen it."_

'_Cara are you really, really sure?"_

"_Yes. You will have to teach me the code and then I'll have to practise typing it, so I can send the signal. Lucas we are nearly there. We can do it. We really can."_

"Why have you stopped?" Curtis came up really close.

"I... I was tired and so thought I would have a rest," he lied.

"Did you ask my permission?"

"No. I'm sorry, Curtis."

"Mr. Curtis to you, boy. I think you need to come and say how sorry you are to me. Put down your axe and come over here."

Lucas obeyed. He slowly went over to Curtis, who led him over to the garage.

"Let me see if all this wood cutting has given you muscles." He lifted Lucas's T shirt off. "Turn around. Yes, I can see a difference." He came up very close to Lucas and spoke into his ear. "Let me see if anything else has changed and he pushed Lucas's jogging bottoms down. Over you go my pretty boy."

Lucas allowed himself to be pushed over the bench. His mind seemed to rise out of his body leaving Curtis to abuse an empty shell. Lucas was thinking how to teach Cara the numbers for instant recall. He did not know what window of opportunity they would have. She had to enter the digits into the computer as fast and as accurately as she could. Lucas was brought back to reality by Curtis slapping his backside really hard and breathing deeply.

"Break time's over pretty boy."

Lucas put his jogging bottoms back up and slipped his T shirt on without speaking. He returned slowly and began to start chopping wood. He really wished that he could spend some time face to face with Cara, so they could make a start on the code.

As it was getting dark Cara came out with two plates. He stopped chopping and they sat down side by side. Lucas still found it amazing that she cooked so well, despite the dreadful conditions under which she was being kept. They ate in silence, but at the end of the meal she put her hand into his and squeezed it.

"Get into the woodshed." They both jumped at the harsh voice coming from behind them. Wolenczak grabbed Lucas's arm and pushed him towards the shed. Lucas couldn't think what he had done to anger his father. Although so many times he had received a beating for nothing. This time though, he was just pushed in and the door locked behind him. He went to the window to see Cara looking in his direction. Wolenczak took her into the house and some time later she came out dressed in black – top and trousers with black slip on shoes – the first she had worn for weeks. She was looking in his direction and Lucas waved to her, she waved back but then was bundled into the car by Wolenczak and Curtis and they were gone.

Lucas got to work thinking how to break down the code into quick and easy sections to teach Cara, so that she knew it as well as he did. He wouldn't let himself think what it would be like to see his dad and Kristin again. To see Freya, Kit, Michael and all the crew of the Seaquest – he wondered what Piccolo's first words would be. He had missed listening to all of his music and he had missed speaking to Wolfman and Juliette. He really tried not to think of them, but it was very hard. When he thought of them he didn't have to think about where he was and what had happened to him since that walk on the beach with Cara. He must have dozed off because he was woken by the sound of the car pulling up to the house. His father, Curtis and Cara got out of the car. Lucas noticed Cara was walking very slowly and Curtis was helping her. His father was carrying a bag. The door to the house closed and the lights were turned on in various rooms.

'_Cara are you alright?'_

'_Yes, but just very tired.'_

'_What happened?'_

'_Well I'm now officially a criminal.'_

'_What do you mean?'_

'_We went to these offices and there was a safe and I opened it and we took the money. There seemed to be loads. Wolenczak and Curtis are celebrating upstairs, I'm in the basement. I just want to get some sleep. Are you alright? Have you been thinking how to teach me the numbers so we can send the message to Michael and Nathan?'_

'_Yes I'm working on it. Get some sleep, see you in the morning."_

Cara just sank onto the blankets and fell asleep. Lucas sat for a while wondering what this would mean now that his father had access to money. He didn't know if it would be a good thing or bad thing. If his father had money he might leave them alone, but Lucas doubted that. It might mean that his father could equip two more rooms out for sex games and Lucas and Cara would be sold again. Lucas did not want to think about that. He finally drifted off to sleep. Some time later he was woken again by the key turning in the lock and the sound of a drunken voice, "C'me here my pretty boy, come and celebrate with Curtis." Lucas felt a strong hand pull him up and lead him out of the shed and into the house, down the stairs and into the basement.

Wolenczak was waiting. He too had had a great deal to drink. Cara was standing up against the wall, looking frightened.

"Let's celebrate, Lou." Said Curtis and he brought out a bottle and four glasses. He poured the Bourbon and gave a glass to everyone.

"Cheers!" Lucas took a drink, it was very strong and he coughed. It burned as it went down.

"Finish it up." Lucas drained the glass.

"Now let's have some fun."

Curtis came over to Lucas. "Show you father and Cara how your muscles are growing." With that he pulled Lucas's T shirt off and pushed his jogging bottoms down. "He's getting some muscles here." Curtis started moving his hand over Lucas's body. "What a pretty boy he is."

"Leave me alone."

"What did you say to Curtis?" asked his father.

Lucas turned to his father, "I told him to leave me the hell alone."

"You insolent brat." Wolenczak stormed over to Lucas and backhanded him. He pulled him over the table and slid his belt out of his belt loops. "I'll teach you to be disrespectful."

Wolenczak turned to Curtis and said, "You start with Cara, I'll finish here."

"Whatever you say, Lou." He turned to Cara who was just standing looking trying to take in what was happening.

"Come to me, little lady."

He walked towards her. "Let's celebrate together." Cara could hear Wolenczak telling Lucas how disrespectful he had been and how he was going to teach him a lesson he would never forget. Curtis had pulled Cara towards him. She was so intent on looking at Lucas, she did not notice Curtis getting angry at her.

"Oh so you want to see what is happening to your precious Lucas – well you shall." He pushed her over at table so that she was looking at Lucas being beaten by his father. She could see the maniacal way Wolenczak was looking at Lucas as he was bringing the belt down across his back. He then stopped. Lucas tried to get up but Wolenczak pushed him down again and started undoing his trousers.

"I told you I would teach you a lesson you would not forget."

Cara couldn't believe it. All that they had been through, but this was the worst she had seen.

"You sick bastard." She spat out at him.

Wolenczak just shouted without turning round. "Shut her up Curtis."

She felt Curtis's hand over her mouth as he leaned his body over hers.

Lucas was now panicking. He didn't know what was happening at first then he realised and began to beg his father to leave him alone.

"What do I have Lucas?" Wolenczak asked again and again.

"Power." Sobbed Lucas.

When Curtis and Wolenczak had both finished they seemed to have a mutual agreement to change who they were with.

"You will learn to obey without question." Wolenczak hissed into Cara's ears. "You will never leave me; you are too valuable a possession and Lucas has now found value in being my guarantee that you do everything I say." He began to laugh and laugh until he was finished and he and Curtis left Cara and Lucas alone in the basement.

Cara struggled to put her clothes back on and went over to Lucas. She helped him on with his clothes and they sat together, stunned.

Cara broke the silence.

"We are getting out of here. What are the numbers, Lucas?"

"28112140109209."

"How can I…" she paused then smiled, "I love you, did I tell you that?"

The numbers were Kit and Freya's birth dates minus two zeros. Lucas smiled. How did she do that? Despite everything that had just happened. She made him smile.

"I just have to learn how to type them as fast as I can."

"I'll make a keyboard for you and you can practise."

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

By the time Lucas and Cara woke, it was well into the afternoon yet they had not been called by Wolenczak or Curtis. Cara decided that they must have had a really bad hangover and so she and Lucas set to making a keyboard, so Cara could practice typing in the code. After searching the whole basement they found some paper and a pencil. Lucas carefully drew the keyboard.

"Just type in 'run' and put the digits into the box." Instructed Lucas.

They timed it. Cara practised and practised, with both hands, with her left hand and with her right hand.

"Someone's coming." Whispered Lucas.

They hid the sheet of paper and waited. It was Curtis.

"Come on little lady. We need something to drink."

Cara got up and followed Curtis up the stairs. The smell of alcohol and stale smoke was overpowering.

"Get me a coffee and clean up." Ordered Wolenczak. Cara was really pleased to see that he looked worse for wear, but hoped she did not show it. She just needed to be 100% sure of the code and type it in. Until then, she had to try and stay in Wolenczak's good books and she had to keep Lucas safe too.

"Yes Mr. Wolenczak."

She made coffee, tidied and cleaned. All the time she was thinking of the digits. Wolenczak said very little to her and didn't want a sandwich when she offered to make him one. Curtis too only wanted a drink. When she saw the amount of empty bottles she understood why.

After she had finished she asked to go back downstairs, and was told she could. Lucas was waiting for her and they went over the keyboard again and again until she could see digits dancing infront of her eyes.

"I think I'm ready." She sighed, "We just need a diversion."

"I can do that. I can give you ten seconds, I'm sure." Said Lucas.

The next morning they were awake early and were waiting for Curtis when he came down to get them ready for work.

Lucas had to go outside and start chopping wood and Cara began making breakfast. Both men sat at the table to eat. Cara tried to remain calm as though nothing was unusual, but her heart was beating so fast.

Curtis went outside to the garage and Wolenczak went into the study.

'_He's gone into the study.'_

'_I'll give him a few moments to switch it on and then get ready.'_

'_Lucas – be careful.'_

'_We can do this, Cara.'_

She thought her heart would burst out of her rib cage. She tried to tidy up and look normal. Cara was just calming down when an almighty crash shattered the peace. Wolenczak was out of the door – it was now or never – she went into the room straight to the laptop, pressed start and run, entered the fourteen digits, pressed enter, then left the room and followed the noise of the shouting.

By the time she got outside Lucas was on the floor with Wolenczak standing over him.

"It was an accident the log just flew off the block." Lucas was pleading.

Wolenczak turned round to Cara.

"Where have you been?"

"I was in the pantry and…"

Wolenczak suddenly straightened up and gasped, "The laptop!" Both Cara and Lucas's heart sank. Wolenczak rushed into the house shouting to Curtis to bring Cara and Lucas.

As Wolenczak ran to the laptop everything looked normal – he couldn't see that anything had happened but he knew something was not right. He swung round to them both.

"What did you do?"

Cara and Lucas stared at him.

"What did you do?"

"When?" asked Cara.

"When I was outside – do not lie to me or you will be sorry."

"Nothing."

"Curtis – bring them to the basement."

Curtis pushed them infront of him. Wolenczak was scanning the ground of the basement turning over blankets looking for a clue and then he found it – the piece of paper. He turned to face them holding it up. His eyes were almost black. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" They both shook their heads.

Chain them!" he ordered.

Lucas began to struggle out of Curtis's grip but Wolenczak came over and punched him hard in the stomach. Lucas doubled over and Wolenczak lifted his arms and chained him to the ceiling. Curtis did the same with Cara.

"What did you do?" demanded Wolenczak. Lucas said nothing. Wolenczak punched him in the face and stomach repeatedly but Lucas did not say anything. He turned to Cara and walked towards her. "What did you do on the laptop? Tell me now!" She said nothing and received the same treatment as Lucas.

Wolenczak stormed upstairs and came down with a whip and a switch. He gave one to Curtis.

"We need to know what they did. She betrayed you Edward, after all the kindness you have shown her – she has betrayed you. Do you want to go back to prison?because she has done something to tell people where we are. I need to know what she has done, and then I can fix it. Do you understand Edward I need to know."

Curtis faced Cara with a whip in his hand. His eyes were now black too. "Tell me." He repeated.

Cara thought she was dying. The pain was never ending and she began to hallucinate. She had blacked out once and was brought back to consciousness by an excruciating pain in her side along with the smell of burning. Curtis had put a red hot iron bar on her side. She couldn't see Lucas as one of her eyes was closed. She felt Curtis tearing her clothes off, but couldn't react. Then it stopped. She heard Curtis getting agitated about something and shouting and she blacked out.

Lucas too was in a very bad way. He had stayed conscious longer than Cara as he had been used to abuse from his father for a long time. He couldn't think of what was happening to him, as he saw what Curtis was doing to Cara. He would not respond to his father's questions, even when he too was burned by the iron poker and could smell his own flesh burning. He was determined not to tell. Finally, his father did not have power over him. He kept drifting in and out of consciousness. All he could think of was his dad coming to get him and that he was coming closer and closer. The pain though almost unbearable, meant that he was still alive and that he could resist more.

He heard Curtis shouting about noises outside and then he blacked out.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

As Nathan Bridger opened the door and went in to the room, time stopped for him. He could see two bodies - they had found them.

Emotion tore through his body. Eight weeks ago he had received the photo Lucas sent to him. It was of Lucas and Cara arm in arm laughing. They had gone for a walk waiting for Cara's two daughters to arrive with Michael, her husband who was Nathan's brother. She had managed to come over to the Seaquest a few days before her family. Nathan had really enjoyed having Cara to stay. It was very rare that he spoke to his sister-in-law on her own, and they always got on so well. It was good that she could spend some time getting to know Kristin, because Nathan wanted Michael and Cara to become close to her as he had asked Kristin to marry him. Cara was also able to spend some time with Lucas, as she loved him like a son, and wanted to spoil him. They just adored each other's company, and Lucas had spent time in England with them during the holidays, being part of the Bridger family. Cara even managed to get Lucas to eat. He said he preferred English food and always came back from a visit looking distinctively healthier. Then they were gone.

There was no sign. A week later he had received a vid com that shattered his life.

Facing him was his sister in law. She was battered and bruised with blood trickling from her mouth. She had read a statement about Lawrence Wolenczak getting to know Lucas more and taking back custody and Cara being in a relationship with a man called Curtis. Her eyes did not leave the sheet of paper, as though she was unable to show Nathan her true feelings but, at the end she had pleaded, "Find us, and help Lucas. Ooh!" As a hand slapped her across the face, he felt his body wince with hers and then as the camera was turned, he saw him, for an instant, on the floor, naked and beaten. The vid link ended. Tears rolled down his face. He knew all the abuse Lucas had suffered from his father. Nathan thought it would end when he adopted Lucas.

But now, this and Cara involved. He had had to think. He had had to let Michael know, he had to watch his brother crumble as he saw his wife beaten and abused.

Four weeks ago they had seen the photos posted on the internet. Nathan was on the bridge. Michael had been working with him on a problem they had found on the Maglift. Luckily Kristin had taken the girls, his nieces, out for lunch and then on for shopping, as they needed extra clothes for their extended stay on the Seaquest.

"Captain, there's an incoming message but I can't as yet establish the source." reported Tim.

"Put it up, Mr. O'Neil," replied Nathan.

Then on every screen appeared the image of a woman and boy. The initial reaction from the crew was one of whistles because of the pose, and of the way they were dressed. Dark eyes stared out from the image. The woman was dressed in a tight corset but the cups of the bra were almost non existent, so her breasts were pushed up and fully revealed; she was wearing a black leather skirt made of a belt and leather strips. Her hair was scrunched up and had black tips. Her skin glistened as though she had oil on. She had bare feet. Next to her was a tall slim boy, dressed in a toga style short skirt, similar to the woman's. His hair was combed back to show very beautiful cheek bone structure. Then at the same time Nathan, Michael, Tim and Katie recognised who the two people were.

"Oh my God!" Nathan could hear several whispers now.

"Get it off the screens." Ordered Nathan. Tim's hands flew across his controls and the image disappeared off the screens on the bridge. But the sight of the two people everyone knew was burned into a lot of peoples' memories.

"Re route it to my office. Mr. O'Neil, with me."

Nathan knew that Michael was behind him.

When they got to Nathan's office, Michael smashed his fist into the top of Nathan's wooden desk.

"The bastard," he whispered through gritted teeth. "Look what he's done to her, what is he making her do, dressed like that?" by the time the last word was out of his mouth, it sounded more like a sob.

"And Lucas…" Michael continued, "That boy has gone through enough. God knows what is happening to them both now."

Nathan was feeling just like Michael. Cara looked so different from the fun loving individual he knew. She looked like a sex toy, as did Lucas. His stomach churned up. However, he had to make the best of this. He turned to Tim who was looking very, very uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say. Mrs Bridger was so lovely and always had time to talk to him, making him feel really good about himself, and now he had seen her dressed like something out of a bondage magazine. She was so much thinner than he remembered. And as for Lucas. His friend, his young friend, who meant so much to him, he was there posing like… well Tim didn't even want to think about it never mind say it out loud.

"Mr. O'Neil, Tim, I know you have had a shock and I know it is difficult for you to view this, but I need to know where these pictures came from. I need to know the location. I don't care how many people you need to help you, just find out…" Nathan took a breath, "Just find out where my family are."

"Captain there are other pictures as well."

"Show them to us."

Nathan, Michael and Tim stared at the screen as a selection of images was brought up. The images were of Cara and Lucas. There were poses of Cara standing behind Lucas with her hands on his body, one of Lucas kneeling infront of Cara with his hands on her breasts, there was a picture of Lucas and Cara in the bath, several of them applying oil to each other's bodies and finally some of Lucas on top of Cara.

Lawrence Wolenczak knew how to hurt Nathan.

"Make sure no one has access to these images." Nathan turned to Tim who was now drained of any colour.

Nathan had found it hard to breathe during the viewing of the images. His chest hurt so badly.

He sat down.

"Work as hard and fast as you can, Tim. Please."

"Of course, Captain." Tim turned to Michael. He didn't know what to say. Michael too was now looking grey. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bridger." Tim simply said. Michael nodded to him.

Tim left the office. All was silent and then Nathan heard a sound coming from his brother. It was sobs. Michael was staring at the screen. Tears falling down his cheeks.

Nathan went to him and put his arms around him. "Oh, Mikey," a name he hadn't used since they were children. Nathan was two years older than Michael.

"Nathan, why is he doing this to them? What has Cara done to him to deserve this? What has Lucas done?"

"Lucas has done nothing, only be his son. And Cara has done nothing, only show that she cares for Lucas. He is doing this to get revenge on me for facing him and accusing him of abuse. But Michael we WILL find them and we WILL bring Wolenczak to justice. I promise, and I have never ever broken my promise to you."

Michael knew this was true and finally was able to hug Nathan back.

It was very soon after that they had found the first hiding place.

The overwhelming disappointment flooded over everyone when Lucas and Cara were not there. Brody had found them on an undercover mission, but by the time he was able to report back they were gone. Brody had also suffered under the hands of Wolenczak. He had his arms and legs broken, and had endured great pain to try and crawl to contact Seaquest after he had escaped from Curtis. When they arrived at the house, they had found the room, the clothes, the ring. Cara's wedding ring, Nathan knew it was Cara's – inside was, "Here's to us kiddo!" He and Michael had the same inscription put into their rings. He was Michael's best man and Michael had been his. They were close brothers.

The room had been bleak. There were shackles, tables, blood. Nathan could not let him self think what they were going through. The agony, the pain, the humiliation. The rest of the house was thoroughly searched and they found rooms that had obviously been used for sex games. Evidence was taken from everywhere.

The next shattering information had been the results from the clothes. There was blood from Cara and Lucas and semen from Edward Curtis and Lawrence Wolenczak. Cara or Lucas or both had been sexually assaulted, or worse … The sex play rooms also yielded bodily fluids, but no matches on the data base had been found. The people who paid for the sex games were very keen to keep themselves anonymous.

And now they were infront of him. Hanging from shackles attached to the ceiling. They were both naked and in a very bad way. Their faces were bruised and bloody. Lucas's thin body was covered in dark bruises and welts as was Cara's. They were both unconscious. He went to Lucas, Michael went to Cara.

He very carefully helped to free Lucas's wrists from the shackles and lay him down on the floor. Nathan prayed he was still breathing. He was. As Nathan placed a blanket over his battered naked body Lucas stirred, he opened his eyes. "Dad, I knew you would come, we knew.." Then he tried to lift himself up, "Cara!" he tried to shout through parched lips. "Cara .. where is she? "

"She's here," Nathan whispered.

"Please let me see," he begged.

Nathan turned now to see Michael with Cara in his arms. He carefully moved Lucas so he could see. Cara raised her head. She looked towards them.

"My darling boy," she croaked through swollen and bloodied lips, "We did it, we survived."

Lucas smiled, "I love you." Sobs began to tear through his body.

"I love you too, my darling." she responded.

"Lucas, lets get you out of here." Nathan stroked his matted and bloodstained hair.

The next few minutes were swallowed in a whirl of activity. Nathan remembered seeing Michael's face, like his own a mixture of emotion, relief, horror, love, anger, hatred.

The medics swooped in led by Kristin, who nearly collapsed when she saw them both.

She went to Cara then came to Lucas. Both had drips inserted for dehydration and were carefully and gently lifted onto the stretchers. The journey to the hospital seemed to take for ever. Nathan was holding onto one of Lucas's hand, Kristin the other, tears silently rolling down her face. She couldn't even speak to Nathan. She could not understand how a father could do this to his son. And Lucas was such a wonderful boy. He was very intelligent, caring, loving and so gentle. What was going on in Wolenczak's mind? She couldn't even begin to think.

Both Lucas and Cara had a thorough medical examination and were bathed and put into very secure rooms. Nathan wondered how long it would be before Michael would allow the girls to see Cara. Nathan thought about his nieces. At the moment they were on Seaquest, worried and frightened but with the whole of the crew at their attendance. Having two blond haired children with English accents made all the crew very keen to help. Kit had taken a real shine to Dagwood, and spent the days helping him clean the boat, she had insisted on her own mop and bucket, and Dagwood had given her a red duster. For an eight year old, it was a perfect way to keep her distracted. She followed him everywhere, dressed in blue dungarees. Dagwood doted on her and when they weren't cleaning, they were seen walking along hand in hand. Kit read Dagwood a story before she went to bed.

Freya at thirteen was harder to distract, she had spent time with Kristin and with Tim, because she wanted to be a marine biologist and also had a very good knowledge of history as she was a voracious reader. Nathan was so pleased that Freya and Kristin got on well. Kristin had a daughter of her own and knew how to relate to very independent, intelligent teenagers. She had had some good conversations with members of staff, but during the evening she had attached herself to Miguel and Piccalo and had found out how to play poker. In the back of his mind, Nathan made a note to talk to the two young sub mariners about the suitability of entertainment for the Captain's niece but, that would have to wait.

At intervals the girls would come up to Nathan and put their arms around him. Kit would go to the moon pool with Dagwood and talk to Darwin about Lucas and Cara. She had on occasion crawled on to Nathan's knee and just clung to him. Michael had spent as much time as possible with the girls. All the crew had been exceptional to them.

As Nathan entered the room he was struck by how young Lucas looked. He was asleep, blond hair falling across his pale face coloured with bruises. One arm was lying across his chest, and Nathan could see the evidence of the brutality meted out to him over the past eight weeks. He was so grateful Cara had been there. She would have tried to help him. Nathan closed his eyes when he thought what she must have gone through as well. How would this affect their lives? They would take it bit by bit. He also had to put Lawrence out of his mind for the time being, apart from the presence of the guards outside and the security around the two hospital rooms. If he thought about Lawrence, if he thought what he had done to Lucas, to Cara….NO… it must be out of his mind.

Lucas stirred, "Where is Cara?"

"She's next door."

"Please can I be with her?"

Nathan looked at the nurse in the room.

"I don't see why not," she replied, "I'll arrange it." Within the next few minutes, Lucas's bed was wheeled into Cara's room. Michael was standing by the bed holding onto Cara's hand. Cara looked as though she was sleeping, but when Lucas arrived she opened her eyes and smiled. Nathan thought of how vulnerable she looked too, she had lost a great deal of weight and she seemed so small underneath the covers. Cara was always the life and soul of their family, and she and Carol got on really well. They were there for him when Robert went missing and there for him when Carol died. He thought he would never smile again, but that time Cara joined him and Michael on Bridger Island with the girls. Kit was only four and she wouldn't leave him alone.

"Why are you so sad, Uncle Nafan?"

"Because Aunty Carol has died, and she won't be coming back."

"Ever?"

"No."

"Who will make me my special dippy eggs then?" she asked seriously, then after a short while she said, "Would you make them for me?"

"I'm not sure how to."

"Aunty Carol said that special dippy eggs were made with eggs, a bit of butter and lots of love. She always made them for me and we used to have them together and share the toast and she made little triangles that we could put our dippy eggs on. She said you had to be heavy on the love." Kit looked into Nathan's eyes.

"Are you crying because you miss Aunty Carol or because you want to get out of making me my dippy eggs?"

Nathan laughed and picked her up.

"Come on, let's try and make those dippy eggs."

Kit had also followed him around asking him to play with her and in the end he gave in. He spent so much time with Kit and Freya. He swam with them and with Darwin. Kit's little body swimming strongly next to him and both girls asking so many questions about the marine life. When Kit was sleeping in the afternoon, he would take Freya out and show her the wonders of the coast around the island, she was so eager to learn, and so interested in everything he said. She was very intelligent for a nine year old and they had such good conversations together. Yes, his nieces were the reason he came back to life. And now their mother was lying in a hospital bed, after weeks of abuse, no doubt protecting Lucas. His mind had wandered and he realised Cara was speaking.

"Sweet dreams my darling," she said to Lucas, "You know I'm with you."

Lucas drifted off to sleep. Cara looked at Nathan.

"They hurt him so much, how any father could do that?" Tears streamed down her face. She looked from Nathan to Michael. They were so alike.

"I tried to be strong for him. I was with him all the time. Even when they locked us in separate rooms, I was with him. Something happened. I could speak to him in my mind and he could speak to me. We always had each other, we were never alone. Even when they..." She paused, "beat us and …hurt us" she couldn't bring herself to say rape, not yet, not now, "We had each other, if it wasn't for Lucas, I would have died... they hurt us both so much…" she was getting sleepy now and drifted off.

Michael and Nathan looked at each other. Michael's eyes were filled with tears and he let out a single sob. Nathan went to him and held him.

They had had the medical reports, Cara and Lucas had extensive scarring, bruises, tissue damage from beatings, broken ribs, malnutrition, Lucas had a broken wrist, they had burn marks, they were branded and there was evidence that they had both been raped by several people.

Nathan was sitting with Lucas. Lucas stirred once again. "She stood up for me all the time. She stood up to him. It didn't matter how many times he beat her. She stood up for me. She was the one who sent the message. She risked everything for me. I saw what they did to her. Curtis was like an animal ...and Lawrence he… he…" Lucas trailed off unable to continue, trying to block out what he saw.

Nathan smoothed Lucas's hair. He looked over to Michael, who had been listening. Michael looked tenderly at Cara and bent over and gave her a kiss.

"She loves Lucas, she treats him like our own, and she would protect him, like her child."

"She is a very brave woman," said Nathan, who was so grateful to her for bringing Lucas back to him.

Cara and Lucas both had nightmares that night. Michael and Nathan stayed by their beds and comforted them when Lucas and Cara woke up. Michael and Nathan had, if it were possible grown even closer.

The next morning the sun was shining as they lay in their beds; Nathan noticed how thin they both looked. They must not have eaten very much at all. They had brands with PoLW burned onto their backs and both also had other burns over their bodies, as well as the bruising and welts. Nathan could not understand how anyone could do this.

"What do you think PoLW means?" he asked Michael. But it was Cara that answered,

"Property of Lawrence Wolenczak." She said simply.

Nathan could hear the sharp intake of breath from Michael.

"He just wanted to dominate all the time. He wanted to show us what power was, he was fixated by making Lucas bend to every whim he had, and if Lucas hesitated then he beat him so badly. He must have been like that all the time Lucas was growing up with him. Lucas was so strong to cope with it all. He lived with the secret for fifteen years. I just can't imagine what he went through. I was only with Wolenczak for weeks and I had Lucas. Lucas had no one for all those years. " Nathan had to fight back tears to think what Lucas had gone through.

"What about you?" asked Michael.

"He didn't know what to make of me. I really don't think he could understand how much I love Lucas, and how I wanted to protect him." She was quiet for a while. "He made us… and he let Curtis…and he asked if it was better than with you…" At that point she broke down and held onto Michael, who stroked her hair.

"I know Cara, you don't have to explain. I know about that. I am just so sorry that you had to go through it all."

"Cara! What is it?" Lucas was panicking. Nathan went over to him.

"Cara is just telling Michael what happened."

"They made me," whispered Lucas holding onto Nathan's hand. They made me and I couldn't help myself, and they filmed us and then Curtis pulled me off and he said he'd show me how it was done."

Nathan didn't understand at first. "Show you how to do what Lucas?" He thought by talking to him it would help Lucas release some of the horrors that he had been through.

"Have sex with a woman," there was silence and then a release of guilt and Lucas held on to Nathan even tighter and began to sob. "But he was so rough with Cara, he hurt her so much and so did Lawrence." When Nathan realised what must have happened he felt physically sick. How could they do that to a boy? How could they do that to Cara? And to film it? Nathan could not get his head around it. Those pictures were taken to hurt everyone.

"Will Michael be cross?" asked Lucas looking up into Nathan's eyes.

"No, Michael will not be cross. It wasn't your fault. None of it was Lucas."

"Cara made a joke out of it saying the film wouldn't be one for the family album. Dad, she has been amazing. If it wasn't for her, I would have given up and he would have killed me. She just stood up to him all the time. I just couldn't..." he trailed off.

"Lucas, Cara has said how much you looked after her and kept her going so that she survived. She said that if it hadn't have been for you, she would have died at the hands of Wolenczak."

Nathan held onto Lucas. "You have been so brave too."

"What's happened to my father?"

It was the question Nathan had been dreading.

"Did you catch him?"

Nathan turned to look at Lucas. Lucas knew the answer before Nathan opened his mouth.

"There was no sign of him, Lucas. We had security search the area but there was nothing."

"So he's still out there?"

"Yes he is, but you are safe now Lucas. He will not hurt you again, I promise." And Nathan held onto Lucas's hand.

Lucas lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Lawrence was still out there. Lucas knew that he was still in danger, and what was more frightening, was that he knew Cara was also still in danger.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As she woke up Cara heard Nathan had been talking to Lucas and she sensed that Lucas was worried.

"Is it about Wolenczak?" she asked.

"They didn't catch him." Lucas looked at her. "But we are safe here. He can't get to us now." He smiled.

She looked at Nathan. "Is that true?"

Nathan came over to her and stood at the end of the bed. "We have so much security that even Great Aunt Maud couldn't get in." That made her giggle. It made Nathan and Lucas laugh. Maud was Michael and Nathan's maiden aunt who was now in a home, as she had dementia, but she always managed to get out and wander around. She had been found in the most amazing places, once even walking in the Pentagon. No one knew or ever found out how she travelled all those miles and found her way there.

Cara wanted to see her daughters. She asked if she could have some clothes that would hide the bruising and the scars from her time with Wolenczak. She also wanted to have a bath and put some make up on so that the bruises on her face did not look so bad. Lucas also wanted to see the girls, so it was decided that Michael and Nathan would bring them in the next day, in the afternoon, for a short visit.

Michael was going to do some shopping so went to tell Cara. He was alarmed to see that both beds were empty, but heard noises coming from the bathroom. As he walked in he saw Lucas wrapped in a towel sitting on the edge of the bath and Cara in the bath talking to him. He was shocked to think that Lucas was sitting watching Cara have a bath, that couldn't be right. Could it?

Michael couldn't help himself, "What's going on in here?" as soon as he said it he regretted his tone. He would remember for a long time the panic on Lucas's face, the speed at which Cara leapt out of the bath and stood infront of Lucas with fear in her eyes and the scars and marks over both their bodies.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to say I was going shopping." His words hung in the air as Lucas and Cara just looked at him. He turned and walked out.

Michael went to Nathan and told him what had happened. Nathan went into the room and saw Lucas and Cara sitting on the bed – both wrapped in towels.

"Are you alright, Michael didn't mean to startle you, he was just worried that something had happened, as you both weren't in bed?"

"He seemed cross." Said Cara.

"No, he was just …"

"Unhappy with me being in the bathroom with Cara?" asked Lucas.

"Well," Nathan felt so uneasy – he had forgotten how hard it had been to be an older brother trying explain what your younger brother had done, memories of when he and Michael were still at home suddenly pushed into his memory – but he had to try and explain now, "We don't know what you went through with Wolenczak... and so at the moment... as its so soon since we found you both, Michael can only react as though everything was normal; with your help and time, we will know and so understand how you two have developed this special bond of survival and friendship." Nathan looked at them both and watched them look at each other.

They both nodded.

"It will take a long time to come to terms with what happened to us." Whispered Cara, "I sometimes can't believe we went through it. I …" she stopped as tears ran down her cheeks. She turned to Lucas and buried her head in his shoulder. Lucas wrapped his arms around her.

At that moment, Nathan realised how amazing Lucas must have been. He was so proud of his son. The bond that had developed between Lucas and Cara was incredibly strong and at the moment Lucas was the one giving comfort and strength to Cara. She really needed him.

He had to try and tell Michael how important this connection between Lucas and Cara was, and how it would help Cara heal.

"I'll let you dry off and get some rest." Smiled Nathan.

Michael returned with clothes for both Lucas and Cara. He had bought long sleeved shirts and trousers of the softest cotton, so that the wounds on their bodies would not be aggravated by the fabric touching it.

Cara and Lucas got ready and when Cara put some make up on she felt a little better. Michael couldn't believe how young she looked. He did go to her and give her a little box. She opened it and found her wedding ring.

"Oh Michael, I thought I had lost it for good. Thank you. Will you put it on for me?" Michael saw her smile for the first time in eight weeks. He slipped the ring on her finger. It was too large now, but it didn't matter. Michael resisted the urge to kiss her, as the psychologist that they had talked to after Cara and Lucas were found had said that Cara would not be able to cope with any physical contact from a male for a while, except for Lucas. She would react badly to contact even from Michael, which broke his heart, but he knew he had to be patient and wait until she was ready.

Cara kept on looking at her ring. She was so pleased to get it back. She remembered when she lost it and how Lucas had tried to get it back for her and his father's harsh treatment of him. She closed her eyes and saw the belt being raised and coming down across Lucas's back. She had a sharp intake of breath and shuddered. She opened her eyes and saw Michael. He smiled and then she saw Lucas smiling and she smiled too. It would get better she knew.

They decided that the best place to see the girls was in the lounge attached to the rooms, to make it less formal and intimidating for them. Cara and Lucas sat on the large sofa and Freya and Kit came in. Freya was holding Michael's hand and Kit was holding on to Nathan and Kristin.

"Girls." She simply said trying not to cry at the sight of her daughters, "I missed you so much."

Without saying anything else she stood up and the girls rushed to her and put their arms around her.

"Mum, you're so small what happened?" asked Kit.

Freya turned and held out her hand for Lucas to come and join them. The four of them held on to each other. Kristin cried and Michael and Nathan could both feel tears running down their faces.

After a while they sat down on the sofa. Lucas with his arm round Kit and Freya held onto Cara's hand.

"Did they hurt you very much?" asked Freya.

"Yes, they hurt Lucas and I a great deal, but we were together and we looked after each other and we got through it, and now we are safe with you all."

"Mum, why did he hurt you both?" asked Kit.

"I think he is not well and …" Cara tried to keep it together, but she was faltering. Lucas took over. "We don't know really but we think its this: you know he used to hurt me?" Both girls nodded. " And when I was staying with you, your mum found out and told Uncle Nathan and my real dad was put in prison and Uncle Nathan adopted me?" They nodded again. "Well, my real father was so cross and bitter and twisted about that, he couldn't forgive Uncle Nathan or me and so he wanted revenge. He found me when I was with your mum, so he decided to punish her as well."

The girls were really quiet. Cara tried to change the subject – "So, what have you been doing?"

"Cleaning the boat with Dagwood." Said Kit proudly.

"Learning how to play poker." Added Freya with pride in her voice.

Cara looked at Nathan and Michael.

They both had a look of naughty children who had been found out.

"Nathan, how could you!" exclaimed Kristin.

Lucas and Cara both laughed out loud.

Nathan Bridger was lost for words, "She was happy and I thought that…" he began to explain.

Cara was still laughing – it was magic to Michael's ears.

"Oh Nathan don't worry, they look fine to me. Thank you for taking care of them while I …"

It was left unsaid.

The afternoon passed quickly and Cara found out all the other things the girls had been doing and how the crew had been fantastic in looking after them. She also found out that they had both been enrolled in the UEO school, so that there was no need to rush back to England. She could take all the time she wanted or needed to recover. Michael also was now working for the UEO in a civilian consultancy position, so they were going to be around for a while. Cara was so pleased because, at the moment, the thought of leaving Lucas filled her with terror. She didn't know if he needed her as much as she needed him, but she realised that she couldn't be without him.

She could feel herself getting tired and was pleased that Kristin picked up on this and said she would take the girls back to the Seaquest. They had stayed in the rooms with Michael that were next to Nathan and Kristin's, so that they were all together. The girls would visit again tomorrow for a short while.

Lucas was also tired but so pleased to see Freya and Kit again. It was good to be together as a family. He was looking forward to the wedding of his dad and Kristin, and would have to find the details when he saw Kristin next. He had to look on the bright side of what was happening and keep thinking positive. He had to be strong for Cara because she was still in a lot of distress. He knew he would heal faster than her, as she was not used to the treatment she had received at the hands of his father and Curtis. He could not let himself think about his father but he knew despite all Nathan Bridger's assurances, Lawrence Wolenczak was still a real threat. Only Lucas knew what Lawrence was really capable of, and how clever he was. If his father wanted to find them he would.

And Lucas was right.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

**A/N The AU in which my story is set has a compliation of characters from Season 1 and 2. I liked Katie and Ben so they have stayed on the Seaquest, hence, they are serving at the same time as Piccolo and Dagwood. (thanks darkin520)**

Nathan, Kristin and Michael had taken the girls for a meal and then back to Seaquest.

Cara slept for some time, but woke up in a panic when her dreams became nightmares of Wolenczak making her open safes, while he held onto Freya and Kit.

In an instant Lucas was next to her, stroking her hair and whispering that everything was alright.

"I see them in my dreams," she sighed, "Will I ever be rid of them?"

"Yes, but it will take time." He assured her.

"Lucas, you are so strong. I wish I was like you."

He held onto her.

"Cara, I've had plenty of practice to get over what my father has done to me, if it wasn't for you I don't know what would have happened."

"Lucas, you were amazing, you were my strength."

"Well it's a good job we had each other. Come on let's get you ready for bed."

Lucas helped Cara get changed and then spent some time brushing her hair. In one of their many talks in the basement, when they had been left alone, they had talked about what soothed them, what made them feel relaxed and one of Cara's was to have her hair brushed. At that time, surrounded by nothing but the reminders of how brutally they had been treated, there was nothing to give comfort with, only words. Now he could. As the brush went through her hair, he could actually feel her start to relax and she settled down and drifted off to sleep.

Lucas got ready for bed too. Cara stirred and asked if Lucas would stay by her. He settled down next to her and she fell asleep again, her head on his chest and his arm around her.

When Michael and Nathan came to say goodnight that's how they found them.

"Are you alright?" Nathan looked at Michael, knowing that Michael wanted desperately to be where Lucas was. Michael saw how calm and relaxed Cara looked. He nodded.

"All I care about is Cara getting better and I know that at the moment, Lucas is the best person to help her. I am just so grateful to him."

The next day Kristin came as her role as Chief Medical Officer on Seaquest. She checked their wounds and was relieved to see that they were both healing very well. Their medication was also checked as they were still in pain from the burns, and she scheduled aqua therapy to begin in a couple of days, to help the muscles that had been damaged by the treatment they had received.

"Now," said Kristin in her most serious and doctor like voice, "if you two behave and do exactly what I say, I am taking you to visit someone very special."

Further along the corridor, Jim Brody was sitting up in his bed. Karen, the nurse he liked the most, came in with a big smile on her face.

"You have got visitors." She announced.

"If it's Piccolo, tell him I'm not playing any more poker – he'd have my cast if he could!"

Karen shook her head. "Behave yourself, they are coming with an armed escort and the chief medical officer of the Seaquest, so they must be very important." She thought for a moment, and then added as an afterthought, "or criminals."

Brody couldn't get his head around who it could be, and then...

"Jim!" both Cara and Lucas gasped together!

"Mrs Bridger! Lucas!" Lucas went over to Brody and clasped his hand followed closely by Cara.

"Please call me Cara." She smiled.

Lucas and Cara were both overjoyed to see him. When they last saw him, it was under very different circumstances.

"How?" they all said at once. Cara and Lucas wanting to know how Jim escaped, and Jim wanting to know how they escaped.

Kristin had asked for chairs to be brought in and so they all sat around Brody's bed, including herself, as she wanted to know what had happened, so she could try and understand how to help their recovery.

"Ladies first," said Brody.

"When I saw you at the front door," Cara took a deep breath and Lucas held on to her hand - Kristin was so overwhelmed with how Lucas was protective towards Cara and knew how to calm and encourage her. For a seventeen year old he was truly amazing. Cara smiled at Lucas and continued, "I couldn't believe it. You were like a knight in shining armour come to rescue us from Wolenczak. I really thought that it was going to be over. You were so brave and so confident and when you got us out through the bathroom window, I was convinced we were going to escape. The windscreen glass shattering terrified me, but not as much as what Curtis did to you. We heard the crack and then we were taken away and couldn't find out what happened. Lucas tried to ask, but his father punished him for asking and never mentioned you again. I… I was too afraid to ask, but we did think of you all the time, Jim, and we prayed that you would be alright. What did happen?"

"Well when he pulled me out of the car he stamped on my arm and it broke."

Cara put her hand to her mouth, "Oh God, I am so sorry."

"No, I should have seen it coming, I was so pleased to find you both, I let my guard down and I paid the price."

"What happened then?" asked Lucas.

"He beat me up with a baseball bat and broke my other arm and legs. I must have gone into shock and looked dead, because I woke up some time later and I was alone. That is the only explanation I can think of, because he certainly did not want to leave a witness. He meant to kill me, but I was just very, very lucky. I managed to crawl out of the driveway – it took quite a time as I had to keep on stopping." Brody didn't mention the fact that he kept on blacking out because of the pain, and it must have taken him at least four hours to move slowly and painfully along the driveway until his PAL could transmit his location. Kristin, who had heard the story before, still shuddered at the thought of the pain he must have endured, and Cara and Lucas were trying to take it in. Cara squeezed Lucas's hand even tighter.

"Jim, we are so sorry." Cara whispered.

"Mrs Bridger … Cara, I need to apologise; I couldn't rescue you from those men. I have been thinking of what you had been through, and what you must have gone through after they found you with me. I made it worse for you."

"Jim, you gave us hope." Said Lucas, "You made us want to escape even more, and because of the move to another house we were able to escape. It all worked out in the end and here we are."

He stopped for a little while and then asked. "How did you know where to look?"

"Well, since UEO intelligence and security was involved in finding you, they trawled the internex after we saw the images of you and Lucas. There were several possible venues, so we decided to try them all out and I just struck lucky and found you. The rest, as people say, is history."

"But why you?" asked Cara.

"Because I was the only member of the crew who hadn't met Wolenczak."

It made sense and Cara and Lucas were so pleased Jim had survived the ordeal.

They chatted about Brody's recovery and he told them how Kristin was an evil taskmaster and made him do aqua therapy – Cara and Lucas looked at one another and then over to Kristin who laughed. He was recovering very quickly and was going to be able to be released from hospital to a rehabilitation unit in a week or so.

After a while Kristin said that it was time for Lucas and Cara to return to their room, as they needed their meds and Brody needed to go to aqua therapy and they all smiled.

When they got back to their room, Cara sat down on one of the comfy chairs that had been brought in. Lucas was chatting to Kristin about the aqua therapy and she was examining his wrist and side to see how the break was doing and the severe burns to his side were responding to antibiotics, because when he had been brought in, they had begun to become infected.

Cara suddenly spoke. "I didn't think he was like that."

"Who?" asked Kristin.

"Curtis."

"Oh."

"He sometimes tried to stop Wolenczak from hurting me, and he loved my cooking, he said so, and he called me 'little lady'... but to kill someone in cold blood, like he wanted to do with Jim. I can't believe that"

Kristin came over and sat next to Cara. "He raped you and beat you so severely that you lost consciousness."

"Yes, but I didn't think he would ever murder anyone."

Cara was confused she didn't know what she thought. In her head, Wolenczak was the thoroughly evil monster that had captured them, and Curtis was not as bad. But he had raped her many times and beaten her and he had raped Lucas in front of her. She closed her eyes and just let the tears run down her face onto her shirt. She was just so pleased it was all over. One thing she knew was that she never, ever, wanted to see either of the two men again.

On the Seaquest, Freya was getting ready to go and see her Mum and Lucas. Her Dad had taken Kit to Darwin, so Kit could give Lucas a message from him.

Her laptop buzzed, telling her she had a message. She went to it and saw that it was from Uncle Lawrence. She was about to open it when something stopped her. She went to the interconnecting door and knocked.

"Come in." Nathan was sitting at his desk, reading a circular from the UEO climatology unit.

"I think you should come and look at this."

"What is it, Freya?"

"I've just got a message from Uncle Lawrence."

Nathan dropped everything and was standing by Freya in the blink of an eye.

"Did you open it?"

"No – I wanted you to see it first?"

"Where's Kit?"

"With Dad, they have gone to see Darwin."

"Good girl. I want you to go into my cabin and call for Tim and Katie to come to my cabin – would you do that for me?"

"Yes, OK." Freya was secretly pleased as she loved using the Captain's intercom.

"This is Freya, I'm in the Captain's quarters; could Commander Hitchcock and Lt. O'Neil please report here as soon as possible?"

In the time Freya was doing that, Nathan went to her laptop. She had only recently been given an e-mail address which they thought was very secure. If she wanted her friends to contact her they messaged her and their communications went through a screening system, so she knew who was messaging her.

He opened the message.

'Hello Freya, I thought I would show you what your mother and Lucas were doing when they were away from you. Make sure that you say hello to them from me when you visit them in the hospital, later on today.' After a couple of seconds images flashed on to the screen, they were all the images that they had received a few weeks ago, but there were new images of Lucas and Cara with other people; the people who had paid money to go into the red and gold rooms with them. Nathan thought he could not be upset anymore after seeing the original images – but the new ones were shocking and he felt his stomach twist and churn at what he was seeing happen to two people he loved. And Wolenczak had sent them to Cara's daughter. He was willing to expose a thirteen year old child to those scenes.

"Uncle Nathan." He heard Freya's small voice

He switched off the screen and turned round.

"What's the matter, you look awful? What did you see? What was it?" She instinctively walked towards him.

"No! Freya stay there, I don't want you coming in here. You cannot see the message he sent you."

"Is it about Mum and Lucas?"

"Yes." Nathan realised that he wasn't breathing and let out a breath.

"Then I don't want to see it, it can't be good. If it has upset you, I think it would be too much for me."

Nathan went to her and put his arms around her. "You are a very, very sensible girl and I love you very much." He was just so proud of her and marvelled at the upbringing she must have had to instil so much common sense in one so young.

A knocking at the cabin door heralded Katie and Tim coming into his quarters. Nathan asked Katie to take Freya to find Michael and Kit, and to take them for a drink in the restaurant, he then told Tim what had happened and asked the lieutenant to try and find where the transmission was coming from. He knew that Tim did not have any luck the last time they had been sent a message from Wolenczak, but they had to keep trying.

A couple of minutes later, Michael appeared and Nathan told him what had happened. He didn't want Michael to see the images. He still wanted to protect his younger brother, but he knew that Michael should see them. Michael sat in silence his eyes riveted to the message and then images.

After a while he turned to Nathan.

"That psychopath sent this to my thirteen year old daughter?"

"She didn't open it, and came straight to me, Freya is so sensible Michael, you should be really proud of her."

Michael wanted to kill the man who had done this to his wife and now the bastard was involving his daughter.

"Nathan we have to catch him , how did he know to contact her and how did he know we were going to see Cara later on?"

"I don't know, but we will work it out and we will catch him."

At the hospital Cara was waiting for the girls to come.

"I thought they would be here by now."

Lucas smiled and said something about it taking a long time in traffic – she seemed to accept his word. But he knew something had happened. He could tell something had happened involving his father. The damage that Wolenczak wanted to inflict on the Bridger family was spreading. Lucas just kept hoping that it wasn't anything to do with Freya or Kit, if it was, he would never forgive himself. He would not let Wolenczak hurt the girls. He would have to find his father himself and stop him, any way he could.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N returned from holiday - all refreshed - until the next crisis! Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Chapter 17

When Nathan, Kristin and Michael finally arrived with the girls, they gave the excuse of traffic, and Cara didn't seem to comment, she was just so glad to see Freya and Kit.

At one point, Kit was taking centre stage to show a new dance that Piccalo had taught her, and Lucas took the opportunity to take Freya to one side. Lucas had always related very well to Freya, as they were the closest in age, and he loved the fact that she had so much common sense and understood a great deal more of the world than he did.

"Was the delay caused by my father?"

"I thought you might ask me." She looked at him and paused. "I wouldn't lie to you, I would to Mum, as she seems so much more fragile, but yes, it was your father, he sent me an e-mail. I didn't open it, Uncle Nathan did, and from what I gather, it's more pictures of you and Mum with people other than Lawrence and Curtis. I don't know their names. There was lots of activity, but as yet Tim has not been able to find the origin of the e-mail."

Lucas did appreciate her honesty and the appraisal of the situation.

"Thank you, I love you." And he kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you too, and I just want you and Mum to get better."

After the girls left, Kristin checked their wounds again. The antibiotics had certainly done their job well. The high protein drinks that they had been given also helped in the healing process. It was only three days since they had been rescued and Kristin was pleased to see how their physical wounds had been healing. She knew that the psychological healing would take a great deal more time.

Cara had drifted off to sleep, being tired out by the girls' visit. Kristin wanted to have a talk to Lucas, as she hadn't really had time on her own with him.

"I know why you were late." He started the conversation.

"How?" there was no point in trying to make excuses.

"I asked Freya and she told me the truth, she said she wouldn't tell Cara because she didn't think her mum could cope with the news."

"That young lady is very sensible, she is right, Cara could not handle further news about Wolenczak, especially when it involves her daughter." Kristin held Lucas's hand, "how do you feel about it?"

"I'm not surprised. I know what my father is capable of, despite everything he has done to Cara and I, I think people forget what a brilliant mind he has."

Kristin looked at Lucas, "And how are you coming to terms with your captivity?"

"I'm doing O.K." he said.

Kristin tried to push a little further, "I know your physical wounds are healing, but what about how you are coping with the emotional roller coaster you have been on? Your years of abuse were finally recognised and you were adopted by Nathan and became part of the Bridger family, only to be recaptured by your father and submitted to terrible abuse again." She watched his blue eyes as the processed the information.

"When I came to the Seaquest, I didn't know what to expect, then Nathan Bridger came into my life and everything changed. There was someone who actually put my well being first, it took me some time to accept that. After I became more used to the Seaquest, I made so many good friends, including you, Dr. Westphalen. Finally, I met Michael, Cara, Freya and Kit who made my life so incredibly good. I feel as though I have been very, very lucky. When my real father captured me, it was different this time. I wasn't on my own, Cara was there. My physical punishments were no different to what I had received before, except for the branding." He spoke so matter of factly, whereas Kristin could feel herself wince at the thought of the damage the hot iron had done. And how anyone could do that to another human... let alone your own child was beyond her understanding. Lucas was continuing, "But seeing Cara being beaten was awful, especially as I couldn't stop it, and it was my fault she was there."

Kristin had to interrupt, "It wasn't your fault, Lucas, and you mustn't think that!"

"That's what Cara kept on saying, but I still did, and still do, I can't help it. He is my father."

He paused and pushed his hands through his hair as though trying to find the next words. He took a deep breath. "But... but... the sexual stuff..." he stopped; now looking at the floor. Kristin squeezed his hand and spoke.

"I know it's difficult for you, Lucas, but if you talk about it, it will help, and if you want, I will not tell another soul about what you are telling me."

Lucas was grateful, "Thanks, I'll try..."

She watched him take another deep breath and then he started talking, almost as if flood gates were opening.

"I couldn't believe what was happening when Curtis raped Cara on that first day, but it got so much worse. My father raped her and I felt so guilty and then they made me, they forced me have sex with her infront of them. I couldn't stop myself. It was the worst day of my life." He was breathing very quickly now, trying to get his breath. "When those people came for the sex sessions that they had paid for, when we had to dress up...I had no idea what to do and they made me do stuff, it was sick. Some people told me what to do, some people beat me if I got things wrong, but I was determined to do everything demanded of me, because I didn't want my father to have any excuse to be angry and make life worse for us." He took a break and managed to look at Kristin. "It's so humiliating and it makes you feel so vulnerable when your body isn't your own anymore and it belongs to someone else. People can violate you and get away with it."

"Oh, Lucas, I am so sorry." Kristin put her arm around him, he didn't seem to notice, but was intent on telling everything before his nerve failed him.

"I was on my own, and then Cara came in for a joint session. I saw the haunted look on her face as though she had been through the same as me. The man who had paid for the session wanted to watch while Cara and I had sex. He told us what to do, what to say, what positions to get into, even where to put our hands. We then had to service him as well. After that, he wanted to us to have sex again, but his session time ran out and he was very cross and got a riding crop and started to beat us both with it, and my father let him. My father told the man he would have to pay extra to beat us after his allotted time, and the man agreed." Lucas stopped, almost exhausted as he was remembering the events of the past few weeks. "Having to have sex with Cara... you can't imagine how that made me feel. How do you pick up the pieces? I look at Michael and think, 'I've had sex with your wife,' and I look at Freya and Kit and think, 'I've had sex with your mother.'"

"But, Lucas, it wasn't your fault."

"No, but it still happened, and it doesn't make me feel any less guilty."

"Have you talked to Cara?"

"Yes, I mean she has been wonderful. She said as far as she was concerned, that was an episode in her life that she wants to try and forget as soon as she can, and as far as what we had to do, it was under duress. When she sees me, she said, she only sees comfort, friendship and protection, nothing else."

"Well, that's a start," encouraged Kristin.

Lucas looked at her, "I suppose it is, I never thought of that." Kristin was really thankful that this difficult talk had produced something positive for Lucas.

"Lucas, sweetheart," she was struggling with what to say, "You have made the first steps towards healing because you are talking about what happened. I know some very experienced people who can help you come to terms with what happened."

"What about Cara?"

"Yes, they will speak to her too."

"The nightmare which has now ended has left Cara still looking for protection and comfort from me. She makes me feel needed, which is very important for me. I know there are lots of mixed up emotions we will both have to work through, but at the moment our relationship is a comfortable one."

As she thought they were getting somewhere, she continued, "Lucas, are you still worried about your father?"

"Yes."

"What are you most worried about?"

"That he'll take Cara again, and ... also take Freya and Kit."

"You are not worried that he'll take you?"

"What more can he do to me? Now that he's..."

He stopped and closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. He was remembering the special lesson his father said that he would never forget.

"I know," soothed Kristin, "You don't have to tell me, I know what that monster did to you. But Lucas, you are being protected by the UEO elite security team that have been assigned to protect you and Cara, twenty four hours a day. There are also special units assigned to protect Freya and Kit too. You don't have to worry about that, Lucas, it's only been three days since you were rescued, I think you are doing remarkably well."

"You don't know my father." Only Lucas really knew what Lawrence Wolenczak was capable of.

Lucas had had enough of the conversation and wanted to brighten the mood.

"So, a wedding? When?"

Kristin beamed, but said, "No, you don't want to hear about that."

"Yes, yes I do... after all... you're going to become my mom. So I want to know."

Cara had started to wake up and had heard the last part of the conversation.

"Wedding plans, I want to know too!" She added, "It's something the whole family can look forward to."

"Well, Nathan and I want to get married on Bridger Island."

"Perfect!" smiled Lucas.

"I would like Freya and Kit to be bridesmaids."

"Kit?" asked Cara, knowing how being a bridesmaid would kill her, tomboy, no frills, eight year old, tearaway daughter.

"I have asked them and they both said, yes."

Cara wondered what Michael had promised or threatened to elicit that answer from Kit!

"Kit did say that she would, if she could, choose what she could wear."

Lucas and Cara both looked at each other and as one thought, '_dungarees, probably, red,'_ and they laughed out loud.

"What's wrong?" asked Kristin.

"No, nothing, we'll see," replied Cara with a huge smile on her face.

Kristin continued, "I would like you, Cynthia and Katie to me my grown up bridesmaids." Cara had met Kristin's daughter, Cynthia, once before and got on very well with her. In some ways she was very like Kristin, but in other ways they were polar opposites.

"I'd love to, Kristin."

Kristin clapped her hands together, "Oh, I'm so pleased, Cara, that means a great deal to me."

Kristin looked at Lucas.

"You don't want me to be a bridesmaid, too?" he joked.

"No, Nathan will talk to you about the manly aspects of the wedding." Nathan and Michael had agreed that Lucas should be best man, with Michael being toastmaster. Kristin didn't want to spoil the surprise for him.

"When is it going to be?" asked Cara.

"We have no particular date in mind, but when you and Lucas are feeling better."

Cara turned to Lucas and whispered, "I think it will take quite a while to persuade Kit to wear a dress!" They both sniggered like small children.

"Sorry, did you want to ask something?" asked Kristin.

"No, we are fine, " replied Lucas.

There was a pause.

"And talking about getting better," Kristin had her doctor voice on now, "Let's give you a check up, and remember, it's aqua therapy tomorrow."

Lucas and Cara shot glances at one another that Kristin noticed. "Do not take any notice of Jim Brody, it will do you two the power of good and you will enjoy it – really!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**A/N Many thanks to darkin520 for being my beta reader :)**

When Kristin was finished and the nurse had come in and given them their medication, Lucas and Cara were left alone.

"I think the wedding is such a good idea," began Cara, "something for the whole family to look forward to."

"Yes, it will," replied Lucas.

"I just …" she stopped.

Lucas knew exactly what she was trying to say. "You are worried that my father and Curtis will do something."

"Yes." She almost whispered the admission. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Lucas went to her and sat on the bed. He took her hand.

"Cara, I can't promise anything because you know my father and what he's capable of, but, I do know that the very best security is and will be looking after us. We shall all be together. There will be Dad, Michael, Jonathan, Miguel, Ben, Piccolo, and Dagwood. Can you imagine Dagwood letting anyone do anything to Kit?"

Cara shook her head. She knew how close Kit and Dagwood had become, and she knew Dagwood would protect her.

"You make me feel better, Lucas. I'm sorry for crying; it seems to be a ritual now, and I've got to stop it."

"Cara, if it makes you release some more of the emotion that's built up inside you, that's a good thing."

There was a moment of calm and relaxation, and then Cara stiffened again.

"But I dream about them. I dream about them hurting me. I am terrified, and I want to fight back, but I can't. I dream about them being on top of me, and I look into their eyes, and all I can see is darkness. I can't tell Michael. I can't tell him what they made me feel like, and I don't want to keep telling you because you need to heal too." She paused for a moment and then continued, "But you are the only one I feel I can tell and the only one who knows what it was like being kept as objects by those two."

"Cara, you know, helping someone aids healing." He had just made that up and had no idea if it was true, but it sounded good. Lucas hoped that Kristin would talk to Cara and persuade her to talk to the psychologists who could help her. He continued, "So, I don't mind, and it's helping me. Hearing you talk about your worries helps me to feel less guilty..."

"…But you shoul…"

"I know, Cara, but I do, and I have to work out how to overcome the feelings for myself."

'_If I ever will.'_

"Lucas, you will."

"Damn, I forgot you knew what I was thinking!" They both smiled.

"It's not as easy now; I think it's that we aren't under stressful conditions like we were when we were being held captive. Cara looked straight into Lucas's eyes and said, "You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"But, he's my father."

"You're nothing like him!"

"But suppose..." He could hardly say it. "Suppose, somewhere deep down inside me, I am like him."

Cara stood up suddenly, making Lucas jump; she held onto his shoulders and turned him to face her. "No, you are not; you are gentle, honourable, kind, thoughtful, and incredibly brave."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes, I do." She slipped into mum mode. "Now, we have a long day ahead of us. Let's try to relax and get some sleep."

Aqua therapy was infact a great deal of fun. The exercises were tough, but they were also enjoyable.

"I wish Darwin was here," sighed Lucas, "I can't wait to see him again."

"Well, from the message Kit brought from him, I think it's reciprocal."

Darwin had sent the message, "LUCAS GET BETTER AND BE WITH DARWIN SOON TO SWIM TOGETHER. DARWIN MISSES LUCAS."

Kristin was pleased with the aqua therapy. She noticed the look on the nurses' faces when they saw the bruises, scars, and burns on the bodies of Lucas and Cara. She was reminded of what they must have been through. However, the marks were healing, and it was good to hear the two of them laughing in the pool.

Meg, one of the nurses came over to Kristin, "What on earth happened to them?" she whispered.

"They were captured by a very insane man."

"They must have gone through hell, the poor souls."

"They did."

"Well, they are amazing. Listen to them laughing."

"Yes, they are remarkable, and I have another treat in store for them," smiled Kristin.

When Cara and Lucas were showered, dressed, and had had some lunch, Kristin came into their room.

"Are you feeling well enough to have some visitors?"

"Yes," said Lucas.

Behind Kristin walked in Ben, Miguel, Piccolo, Tim, and Dagwood.

"Hey, Lucas, you owe me big time!" announced Tony Piccolo.

"How do you work that out?" replied Lucas.

"Well, your cousin is getting too good at poker, and I reckon it's your influence. Plus, it's your turn to clean our quarters, I'm sick of doing it!"

Piccolo then noticed Cara. "Hey, Mrs. B, you know Freya is a maths whiz like Mr. Smarty pants here. I mean, she's good … not only at poker." He was squirming now, "She's good at other stuff… too…"

They were silent for a moment, Lucas and Piccolo staring at one another. Then, everyone burst out laughing, and the crew came forward and brought chairs to sit around the sofa.

Ben came and put his arm gently around Lucas's shoulders.

"It's good to see you again, Lucas."

Tim went over to Cara, "I am so sorry that I couldn't find where the messages came from. I tried so hard, both times."

Cara looked puzzled. Kristin stepped in quickly. As she passed Tim, she squeezed his hand.

"Lawrence Wolenczak contacted the _seaQuest, _and Tim was trying to locate from where the message originated."

To Kristin's relief, Cara didn't ask anymore _questions_. After a great deal of chatting and catching up, some refreshments were brought in. Cara raised her voice slightly so that everyone could hear.

"I just want to thank you all for looking after Freya and Kit, I know how you cared for them - and it means a great deal to me."

Everyone in the room smiled or uttered replies of thanks. Dagwood came up to Cara.

"The men that hurt you are very bad, and one is Lucas's old father, _not_ Captain Bridger."

"Yes, that's right, Dagwood."

"Kit is very good at cleaning." He thought for a moment. "And reading. I like her stories."

"Thank you for being a good friend to her."

Dagwood made one of his happy, shy noises and continued, "We have a very good time, and Kit is my friend as well as Lucas and Darwin and Tony."

"Hey, how come I'm after the dolphin?" questioned Tony with a mouthful of cake.

"Darwin doesn't take money from me."

"In poker, you win some you lose some."

"Ssh, I'm talking to Mrs. Bridger." Dagwood continued his conversation with Cara. "Why did Lucas's father hurt you so much? He did a very bad thing."

"I think he did it for revenge, and to hurt Captain Bridger."

"But he hurt you."

"He hurt Captain Bridger as well, because when he hurt Lucas and me, he showed the Captain what he was doing, and it made the Captain very upset."

"If I ever see those men, I will hurt them too."

Cara looked at Dagwood, "I know you want to help, but I think we should let the authorities catch them and deal with them, so you don't have to worry."

"O….K… if that's what you want." Dagwood looked very serious, and then brightened up. "Can I have a cake like Tony's?"

"Of course," smiled Cara, help yourself."

A little while later, Michael brought the girls, and Cara was very pleased to see how well her daughters fitted in with the crew. Kit went straight over to Dagwood, put her hand in his and started chatting. Freya was talking to Miguel and Ben. After some time, Jim Brody came in; he had been in a wheel chair and had followed the noise.

By the time Nathan and Kristin arrived, there was laughing and talking from all parts of the room; everyone enjoying each others company. Cara and Lucas were in the centre, and they both looked relaxed and happy, surrounded by people who cared for them.

When it was time for medication, Kristin began herding the crew out and back to the _seaQuest_. Everyone had had a good time. The girls stayed a little longer. As Kit was leaving, she stopped as though she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Mum, I forgot to ask. The man that came to see me at school today wanted me to ask you, what was it like, sleeping with Lucas?"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Thanks once again to darkin520 for being my beta :)**

Chapter 19

There was a stunned silence. Everyone stopped in their tracks. Cara, surprisingly, remained calm, although her insides were twisting and turning.

"Why do you ask, Kit?"

"Well, he said I should ask you, so that you could tell me what happened when you were away."

Continuing in a soft voice, trying to ignore the reaction of everyone else and just focussing on Kit, Cara continued, "What man was that? And where did you see him?"

"At school; he had a visitor's badge on. He gave me a picture of you and Lucas. It looked as though it was at night because there were lights on, and Lucas was on top of you, so you must have been getting comfortable to go to sleep."

Cara was now in full panic mode, and it took all her might not to shriek out loud. She remembered all too well when _and _in what circumstances the picture was taken.

"Where's the picture now?"

"In my school bag, back on _seaQuest_."

"Will you show Dad when you get back?"

"OK, but you haven't answered my question about sleeping with Lucas."

"It was very comforting to sleep with Lucas because he protected me when we were with the men that hurt us."

"I knew that!" said Kit triumphantly, "and that's what I told the man you would say. I told him that Freya and I had slept with Lucas when there was that mega thunder storm on Bridger Island, and _he_ protected _us_." Kit was pleased with herself because she had told the man the right answer, but then, she looked around the room and saw the expressions on everyone else's faces. She began to feel nervous and turned back to her mother.

"Did I do wrong? Sorry, Mummy, sorry." She began to tear up.

Cara swept her up in her arms, "No, no, you were truthful, Kit, and that's what Daddy and I have always told you to be. I am proud of you." Changing her voice tone, Cara carried on, "I think I heard that Jim wanted to have a game of cards with you and Freya before you left. You know...that game of pretend poker that Tony has taught you?"

"But that was our secret! How did you know about pretend poker?" Kit was shocked.

"Mums know everything," Cara assured her.

Kristin slipped out of the room to go and warn Jim about what had happened and about the impending card game.

Freya came up to Kit. "Bet I can beat you both."

Kit went into little sister mode. "Can't."

"Can."

"You cheat, spotty face."

"Not as much as you, snot nose. Come on." Freya held on to Kit's hand, turned to her mother and smiled and led Kit off to Jim's room.

Michael looked at Nathan. "He.."

Nathan cut in, "The first thing we need to do is find out who it was for sure, how they got into the school, and, where the Goddamned elite security forces were." From being quite quiet, the last part of Nathan's sentence was building up to a crescendo, showing his frustration and feeling of anger about Wolenczak, as they all really knew that he was the man who had talked to Kit.

Kristin came back into the room. "They are fine. Jim will look after them." She came straight over to Cara.

"You know you handled that just right. Kit is an innocent child and doesn't know what went on. She thinks the man just meant _sleeping_ and nothing else."

"I know," agreed Cara. The fact that his plan to corrupt and upset her about Lucas and I didn't work is very rewarding. But, the fact that he was able to see her is …" she was searching for the words, " frightening." Her actual feelings could not be put into words.

"It's another reminder that he is still in charge, and has power." Lucas trailed off, not wanting to betray the fact that he was now terrified.

Nathan got up from the sofa and walked towards the door, "We have to know… I have to know if it was Wolenczak, and if it was, I have to know how he got into the UEO School, walking past security guards and talking to Kit." He turned to face them all, "I'll let you know as soon as I get some answers."

"I want to come with you." It was Michael. He turned to Cara, "I have to know, too."

She nodded. "I know."

"We'll be fine," confirmed Kristin, "We need to talk about Freya's fourteenth birthday, and then, I'll pick up the girls and take them back to the _seaQuest_."

Everyone thought that it was a good idea.

Michael went to Cara and put his arm around her, and smiled at her reassuringly; although he didn't feel it. Lucas, Cara, and Kristin watched the two Bridger brothers leave.

Cara looked at Kristin, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here, and knowing what to do. I can't think about what might have happened with Kit."

"It didn't, and that's good."

Cara nodded. "Michael and Nathan will find out more, so I can't do anything at the moment."

They hadn't noticed Lucas sitting very still on the bed.

"The evil bastard, I want to kill him!" Lucas blurted out, "Kit, she's eight years old. How could he? How could he?"

In a flash, Kristin was next to him.

"Lucas, we don't …"

"Yes we do; we _know_ it was him, talking to her, giving her a photo…"

"But she didn't realise." Cara was now also by his side as well. "So, that's good. The impact he wanted has not happened; he has only succeeded in making us cross and upset, and he has done that before. He hasn't harmed Kit in any way, and I am certain that Nathan and Michael will ensure that he doesn't have access again."

"Come on, Lucas," Kristin encouraged, "there is nothing we can do at the moment. Help us decide what to do for Freya's birthday."

"She wants to have a party on Bridger Island.," he replied.

"How do you know?"

"She told me. She thought it would be a good idea; she loves being there, and she knows so does everyone else. Also, she would like a barbeque and some music so that we can all dance. Next, she would like everyone to come, family and the crew she is friendly with. As it's been only a couple of weeks since Freya started school, she doesn't feel that she can invite any of her class mates as they do not know the situation. Finally, she would like a dolphin birthday cake and the coral earrings from the shop on the quayside for her present." He paused, "Oh, and Freya gave me a list of the music and what food she would like."

There was silence.

"Well then," commented Kristin, "I always said Freya was sensible. Thank you, Lucas. That's the easiest birthday party I've every arranged!" She added.

"Freya thought that you would have enough to deal with, and so, she decided to take some extra decisions off your hands and sort out her party for you."

"She gets that off Michael, you know," said Cara.

"What?" Asked Kristin.

"Being sensible."

"I shall go and arrange for the cake, food and decorations to be sent to Bridger Island. When shall we have the party?"

"I think we should try and keep it as close to her birthday as we can, but have it at the weekend so that it doesn't disrupt school. Next weekend would be good. That gives us four days. Will that be enough time?"

"Oh, yes," said Kristin, "But will you be alright, the two of you leaving the hospital and going to the island?"

"I can't wait; Freya wants Darwin to come as well and I've missed him so much." Lucas actually smiled and became quite animated when talking about Darwin.

"I agree; I need some sunshine and I can't think of a better place, can you?" added Cara.

"No," agreed Kristin, "I think that it would be a perfectly splendid idea."

Talking about the arrangements for the party seemed so normal; there was no other way they could all cope with the latest invasion of their lives by Lawrence Wolenczak. If Cara sat down and thought about it, she knew she would have a breakdown. Her innocent little girl - and that's what Kit was; she may be a tomboy and always be up for a challenge - but she was only eight years old and had no idea what had happened to Cara and Lucas.

Lucas knew he couldn't dwell on the event with Kit, as it would make him so angry that he wouldn't be able to control himself. He just could not conceive how his father could involve Kit. Why? She was eight years old. What was he trying to achieve? How much did he want to hurt the family? Lucas would have to re-evaluate what he thought his father was going to do. He wouldn't do it now; he could not think rationally. He did not want to see his father and Kit in his mind at the same time.

Kristin looked at Cara and Lucas in the silence. She knew they were both hurting over the last event, and she didn't know how to comfort them. They all needed to take their minds off it until they knew more. She was worried about Cara because Kristin didn't know how Cara would react and how much more she could take. She really needed Cara to see the psychologist. How could she bring it up?

Distant raised voices snapped her out of her thoughts.

"You cheated!"

"Did not!"

"Did too. Didn't she, Jim?"

"Now girls, it's only a game."

"I think you need to go and rescue him, Kristin, don't you? He's done very well." But there was no need as the voices were coming closer.

"Be careful, Kit." warned Freya.

"I'm fine, aren't I, Jim?"

"Yes, but don't move from there. You OK, Freya?"

The sight that greeted Kristin made her wish she had a camera. Jim Brody entered on his wheelchair. Kit was sitting on his lap, and Freya was balanced on the back as the wheelchair had carried all three of them from Jim's room to Lucas and Cara's room. Kit and Freya had wide smiles on their faces; but it was the look of worry, panic, trepidation, and relief, when he saw the others, on Jim's face, that made the other three smile.

"Oh girls! Get off the chair in case it breaks!" said Cara anxiously.

Lucas burst out laughing, and Kristin went over to help Kit off Jim's lap.

"I think it's time I took you two back to the _seaQuest _so that these people can have a rest."

The girls knew Kristin was right and went up to Jim and gave him a hug. Freya went to Lucas to hug him, and Kit went over to Cara for a kiss goodbye. "Love you, Mummy."

"I love you too, sweetie, keep safe."

"I told them your birthday list," whispered Lucas.

"You're brilliant," replied Freya, kissing him on the cheek.

The girls changed partners.

"Mum, will you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Will you let Kristin arrange for you to see someone who can help you?"

"What do you mean?"

"With all this additional stuff, I think you need to talk to someone, as well as the family, who can help. Will you promise?"

Without hesitation, Cara replied that she would. Kristin breathed a silent breath of relief and looked over to Lucas, who smiled. What a very, very sensible young lady Freya Bridger was. Kristin marvelled at the intuition of the thirteen year old.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Once again thanks to darkin520 for being my beta, and for doing it _so_ quickly!**

Chapter 20

Back on _seaQuest, _Tim O'Neil and Ben Krieg were looking through the security footage of all visitors to the UEO School. Nathan and Michael Bridger had returned from the school with the disc. They had been satisfied that the security arrangements had all been in place; however, whoever had installed the security system had not reckoned with the ingenuity of Lawrence Wolenczak. The visitor's pass said, Dr Samuel Stone, a child psychologist from the UEO medical division, observing Kristina Bridger. His credentials had been checked, and everything had been correct and official. An appointment had been made with Kit's teacher after the observation to discuss the outcome. He had never made that meeting, leaving a message with the school secretary saying that he had been called away for an urgent case conference. The school secretary said that he had been very pleasant and friendly, and she remembered him because he had commented on the photo of her children on her desk. The film confirmed that it was, in fact, Lawrence Wolenczak; he had different colour hair and was wearing glasses, but it was unmistakably Wolenczak. He even looked up at the camera on his departure and smiled.

At this, Ben shuddered. What sort of sick, twisted individual could be pleased by subjecting the Bridger family to such upset and torment? When Ben heard what had happened to Lucas during the latest encounter with his father, he felt sick to his stomach. And this time, he had included Mrs Bridger, who was such a happy and caring person. Ben had been shocked in the change in her. Mrs Bridger had been the person who had finally found out the truth about what Lawrence Wolenczak had done to Lucas throughout his life. He had suspected that something had been going on, but he could never find the right way to get Lucas to confide in him. At different times, he felt he had been close but never quite managed the full story. Sometimes, Ben had arranged for Lucas to be doing something else during shore leave time so he would not have to spend so much time at home with his father. Although Ben gave the impression that he was a carefree, always-up-for-a-challenge person, he had really taken Lucas under his wing and cared what happened to him. He had hoped he had been like an older brother to the boy. Ben had been so pleased that after the trial, Lucas had been adopted by Nathan and had been welcomed wholeheartedly by the rest of the Bridger family. The impending marriage of Captain Bridger and Dr. Westphalen would give Lucas a complete family. And then, Wolenczak returned and proved what a psycho he was by involving the Bridger children. They had to catch him before he took them too. Ben looked and looked until his eyes ached. He was good at observation, and Tim was good at the technical work.

Ben Krieg was determined that Lawrence Wolenczak would never get his hands on any member of the Bridger family again.

When they had watched the footage for what seemed like the hundredth time, Tim isolated the part of the security tape that showed Wolenczak and took it through to Nathan Bridger.

Michael and Nathan watched Lawrence Wolenczak smiling at them.

"He's laughing at us," spat out Michael, "He walked into the school, talked to my daughter, and gave her this." He held a photo of Cara and Lucas; on the back it said, 'remember to ask Mummy about Lucas,' "The bastard; if I see him, I'm going to kill him."

"Michael…" began Nathan.

"You know you want to do the same; he's hurt Cara and Lucas, and now, he's got his sights on the girls. If he touches them, Nathan, so help me, I will…"

"I know, but I don't want you to find yourself in prison on a murder charge. We have to work on _preventing_ him from coming anywhere near our family and let the authorities deal with him. We need to concentrate on tracking the son of a bitch down and catching him."

"But he's so clever; he's been one step ahead of us the whole time."

"The first thing we need to do is to break down the footage of him at the school and see if there is anything that can give us a clue of his whereabouts. We also need to look at the photo to see if we can find out where it was printed or to look at the ink from the pen that wrote the message. The greater the amount of information we can gather about him, the greater the chance of finding where he is."

Nathan called Tim to his quarters and gave the orders to analyse the footage and the photo. All members of the crew had volunteered to do extra shifts to release the necessary personnel who had the expertise to help in finding Wolenczak. Nathan was eternally grateful for the loyalty and dedication of all members of the _seaQuest._

Not long after, Kristin returned with the girls. Nathan was pleased to see they were all in a good mood and were laughing as they entered his cabin. She had taken them to a fish food restaurant before returning to the _seaQuest_ and hoped she had cheered Kit up by having a competition between them to see who could make up the wildest wedding dress they could think of. Both girls had entered the spirit of the competition, and Kristin was pleased that the end design was only in their imagination; she didn't really think she could walk down the isle in a purple wedding dress that lit up whilst wearing a veil that had plastic dolphins sewn onto it and were also attached to the headdress. On the other hand, she would have loved to have seen Nathan's face as he turned 'round to see her…

As soon as she saw Michael, Kit rushed into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Daddy."

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about; you did well, and as Mummy said, you told the truth. Isn't that true, Uncle Nathan?"

Nathan smiled and went over to his youngest niece, took her from Michael's arms and sat down with Kit on his knee, "You know when you helped me when Aunty Carol died, and I was very upset?"

She nodded.

"Well, that's what family does; we help each other when we are upset. Now, I bet you can tell me something good to cheer me up, can't you?"

Kit thought for a minute and then brightened up, "Kristin is going to wear a flashing purple wedding dress with blue dolphins on it."

"Oh…" He couldn't think what else to say.

"Just joking," giggled Kit.

"Kit!" laughed Nathan, "I really believed you!"

"Well, I have some good news," announced Kristin, "And this is truthful." She looked at Kit. "We have arranged Freya's birthday party for next weekend on BridgerIsland, and everyone is very welcome. Cara and Lucas think it's a very good idea, and we shall all be together for a family celebration, which is what we all need."

"Excellent work; well done," said Michael, "Come on, girls, you can tell me about it when you get ready for bed. Kit, say goodnight to Uncle Nathan and Kristin."

Kit put her arms around Nathan and kissed his cheek, "Nighty night." She turned to Kristin, "Thank you for a lovely meal and for that great game."

Kristin went over to her. "I really enjoyed it too; sleep well." And Kristin hugged her.

"Night," added Freya, giving hugs and kisses to Nathan and Kristin.

"Thank you for being so sensible and sensitive to your mother's needs, Freya. Your father should be very proud of you."

"I am, so very proud," replied Michael. And with that, Michael and the girls went into their cabin.

Nathan and Kristin watched them go.

"I need to get to the lab to check some work I have been neglecting," she sighed.

Nathan was just staring at her.

"What is it, Nathan?"

"Purple and blue, my favourite colours," smiled Nathan.

"Well, really? I think I should have one made now, just to spite you!"

"Now then, Kristin."

She gave him one of her famous withering looks and swept out of the cabin, leaving Nathan to try to imagine what the dress would possibly be like.

At the UEO hospital, Cara, Lucas, and Jim were talking about the events of the day.

A nurse came in with a phone for Lucas; it was Nathan telling him that they had confirmed that it was Lawrence at the school. Lucas thanked him and said he would see him the next day.

Cara knew with the answers Lucas gave that it was his father at the school. She felt herself catch a breath.

Lucas came over to her. "It's only what we expected, so it's not really a shock."

"I know, but it's now actually confirmed that Lawrence was near to Kit. The thought that he could have touched her, my little girl...he could have taken her infront of everyone, and he wouldn't have been stopped, I can't think what I would have done, if he had…."

Jim moved his wheelchair over to her, and held her hand. "But he didn't, Cara. I know that I'm not the world's brightest spark, but I also know that there is no need to dwell on something if it didn't happen. You know it will make you so upset again, and you don't deserve that. You are too lovely."

It was Lucas's turn to be impressed by Brody. Usually the crew made jokes about Brody's inability to empathise with people and his lack of feeling, but today, he had shown how much he cared for Cara. It was also good to see someone else giving Cara comfort.

"You know that makes sense," added Lucas.

Cara looked at them both. "Thank you, I could have let myself get wrapped up in so many, 'what ifs' that I could have been going around in circles. Thank you for giving me some perspective.

Lucas changed the topic of conversation to try and take Cara's mind off the school incident,

"Will you be able to make it to Freya's party this weekend, Jim?"

"Oh, yes, try and keep me away. I'm due to go into convalescence and rehab after this week, so I'll arrange to go from BridgerIsland; I'm sure they will pick me up from there. Well, if you two don't mind, I'm heading back to my room. No doubt, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

Cara and Lucas wished him goodnight.

"You know, they will be working hard to try and find out where he is." Lucas sat next to Cara.

"Yes, I do."

"And you are O.K. about going to BridgerIsland?"

"Oh, yes, I love going there and it's what Freya wants."

"And you are O.K. about leaving the safety of the hospital?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about what you said and how we shall be altogether and have people there to be on security detail, and I also know that Dagwood will be there. He was so caring about Kit. I know he would protect her. The others, too, will look after Freya, so we are having as much security as we possibly could."

Lucas was so pleased with Cara's positive approach to the party. "We are going to have a brilliant time."

"I know," she added, "all the Bridger family and friends together, celebrating Freya's birthday. It will be great."

Not very far away from the hospital, emphasising his ability to outwit the UEO, Lawrence Wolenczak was sitting and thinking about his next move.

"Are we going to pay the party a visit, Lou?" asked Curtis.

"Well, I would like to remind the Bridger family that I shall never forget them, and what an excellent opportunity as they will all be together."

"Shall I call in some favours?"

"Not yet, Edward, I want to sit and think how I shall send my next message to them. I want all the Bridger family to know that they are always in my thoughts."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Yet again, thanks to darkin520 for taking time to be my brilliant beta :)**

Chapter 21

Despite countless investigations into all aspects of Lawrence Wolenczak's visit to the UEOSchool, nothing had been discovered. There had been people working twenty-four hours a day for three days with zero results.

"Does this mean he is going to make his presence known during the weekend on Bridger Island?" asked Michael when he and Nathan were going through some data for the tenth time.

Nathan stopped what he was doing and looked ahead of him, rather than at him.

Michael knew what that meant; after years of reading Nathan's body language, he knew.

Nathan then shifted his position slightly, hunched his shoulders, and drew his hand through his hair.

'_Oh God,' _thought Michael_, 'this is going to be bad.'_

"I am sure of it; the only thing is, I don't know what he is going to do."

"Should we go? If there is a chance of him hurting Cara, the girls, or Lucas, even a remote one, can we let them be exposed?"

"If we don't go, that will upset a great many people, including Cara, the girls, and Lucas. It will also mean that Wolenczak has won; he has power over us."

"You are right, but what are we going to do about security?"

"Believe me, we shall have security. Wolenczak would have to be a magician to get anywhere near the island."

That made Michael feel better. Even after all these years, even after having a family and living in England, it was good to know that his big brother was in charge.

"Hey," Michael turned as he was leaving Nathan's cabin, "could you imagine Kristin's reaction if we had cancelled? She has gone all out for this party. I've never seen so much preparation; looks as though this is a dry run for the wedding."

"I know," groaned Nathan, "Another reason I didn't want to cancel is that Kristin would have killed me!"

At the hospital Cara and Lucas had two more sessions of aqua therapy and were now off the antibiotics. Cara was just taking a mild sedative at night to help her sleep. Lucas wasn't on any medication. They were eating healthily and both looked well on the way to recovery. Their scars and bruising were also fading. It was just their burn marks and brands that were still the stark reminders of the physical abuse they had been subjected to at the hands of Wolenczak and Curtis.

Following the conversation with Kristin, they also had a couple of sessions with the Psychologist, Dr Palmer, who was a personal friend of Kristin's and whom the two of them found to be very good. He listened and had the ability to make them feel secure with him. He also posed no threat to Cara.

Dr Chris Palmer had been keeping Kristin informed of the general outcome of the sessions, and he felt that the way forward was to have a joint session. Chris had been visiting them in the hospital, and so, as he wandered into the lounge, they both looked up from their books and gave him a smile.

"Who's first today?" asked Lucas.

"Something different today; I would like two for the price of one, both of you together. I think it would help."

Lucas looked at Cara, and she nodded.

"That's fine."

Chris Palmer settled down in one of the easy chairs, and Lucas and Cara stayed on the sofa. Kristin had told the rest of the medical staff that when Dr Palmer was with Lucas and Cara, they should not be disturbed.

Chris began, "I want to thank you both for sharing your experiences when you were captured. I know it was not easy to tell me, but you have been amazing, and I do think that the sessions have started to help you."

Lucas had been quiet during the first session, but had begun to tell Chris how he had felt being with his father again. The next session had continued well, and Chris was able to ask questions to try and establish how he could help Lucas. Cara had cried through both sessions, but through her tears, she had managed to tell Chris some of her time with Wolenczak and Curtis.

Chris continued, "I wanted to have a joint session because I have found that during your sessions with me, there is a recurring theme. You both feel a great deal of guilt over what has happened." He turned to Cara, "Cara, do you know why Lucas would feel guilty about your experience?"

Cara sat still for a little while and then nodded.

"I know Lucas feels guilty about more than one thing; the first is that Lawrence Wolenczak is his father, and Lucas feels guilty that I was involved in the capture and all the beatings and abuse. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be there." She stopped and started to feel her stomach knotting.

"Are you alright, Cara; do you want to carry on?" asked Chris. She nodded.

"I also think that he feels guilty about …" She faltered as though she was trying to find the right way to say the next part of the sentence; she didn't want to say it, but knew that if she did, and Chris knew, he might be able to help Lucas. She continued, but her voice was very quiet, and both Lucas and Chris had to strain to hear, "…about having to have sex with me."

She looked at Lucas; she felt so sorry for him. She had just taken it as part of the nightmare she had been living in when she was with Wolenczak and, in a way, de-personalised what happened with Lucas; in order for her mind to cope.

"Are you alright, Lucas?"

Lucas nodded, just slightly, relieved in a way that Cara had told him. He had felt so much better when he told Kristin, and now that Chris knew, a little part of him relaxed.

"Do you think that she understands your guilt?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why Cara feels guilty?"

Lucas didn't have to think; he knew, "She feels guilty because she thinks she is relying on me too much, and she thinks she is holding me back from recovering from our ordeal."

Chris Palmer looked at the two people sitting in front of him.

"I think you are both very perceptive, and know each other very well."

"We spent a great deal of time with each other during those eight weeks," remarked Cara, "We had been abused by Wolenczak and Curtis and then left on our own. We had been hurt physically and mentally. Sitting together in the basement in the aftermath, all we had was each other, and consequently, we learned a great deal about ourselves."

"I know that the way forward for you both would be to realise that the guilt you feel is just a manifestation of how much you care for each other, and instead of feeling guilty, you should feel comforted by the fact that you each have endured so much for the other." He looked at both of them and then added, "The bond you share is extraordinary, a bond of companionship united under the harshest of conditions. You both underwent a roller coaster of emotion but the bond you share enabled you to survive for each other."

Chris Palmer's observation and his aspiration for their healing gave them a great deal to think about. He left, saying that he would see them the next day, before they would leave for Bridger Island.

"Did that help you?" asked Cara as she watched Chris leave.

"A little; it's a start, and each time we talk about what happened, I feel as though a little bit of me is healing."

"It's the same with me. It's also comforting to know someone else knows about what we went through and how we feel. At the moment, I still feel I can't share it with Michael."

Not long after, Kristin walked in with a parcel. She was beaming.

"Lucas, I think it's a good idea if you go and do some manly bonding with Jim, as I have been shopping for Cara, and she has a lot of new clothes to try on. You can't beat a little bit of retail therapy to make you feel better!"

"Message understood!" Lucas jumped up and gave a mock salute to Kristin.

"I can tell you are definitely feeling better," she commented, "because you are starting to push all the right buttons to make me want to tell you off!"

Lucas grinned, and Kristin was so grateful to see it. "Have a great time," he said giving Cara a hug, and he wandered off to find Jim. However, the fact that a UEO security guard followed him and made sure he went into Jim's room still showed how serious their situation was still deemed to be.

Cara and Kristin had a wonderful time trying on clothes. Cara was still much thinner than she used to be, and Kristin had a great eye for fashion and what would be suitable. Cara had great fun and loved how Kristin had brought clothes that could mix and match, so the number of combinations seemed endless.

"Michael won't be able to resist you!" joked Kristin.

At this off-the-cuff comment, Cara became very quiet and sat down.

"Cara, what is it? Are you alright?"

"It's just that I hadn't thought of that. You know, where I would be sleeping on Bridger Island?"

"Cara, Michael won't expect anything; you know that," reassured Kristin.

Cara knew that very well, but she still looked worried. "I haven't even considered anyone sleeping near me, except for Lucas." They were both quiet, and then, Cara looked at Kristin.

"You know, we had such a good session with Chris Palmer, I think that I should try, to let Michael become closer again. Just to be in the same bed would be progress."

"Well, we'll see," replied Kristin, "and I think you are being really positive; well done!"

Later on that day, Michael brought Freya and Kit. They were both really looking forward to being with the family on Bridger Island as well as the crew members that had become their extended family. Cara showed the girls her clothes while Michael went off to find Lucas and Jim, who had spent the afternoon watching a selection of films about fast cars, martial arts, and scantily-clad women. Kristin had gone in and given them her disapproving look, but again, she was secretly pleased that the old Lucas was slowly returning; even though the semi-naked women were Jim's choice.

The last day before the party was spent having a further individual session with Chris Palmer and packing. Nathan had bought some new clothes for Lucas with the advice of Wolfman, Lucas's friend from the Internex. Nick knew Lucas's dress code very well and was able to give Nathan styles and even which brands of clothes to buy.

Nathan came over with Ben to discuss security for their journey, and both Lucas and Cara listened attentively to the arrangements. Cara was very impressed, and even Lucas thought that his father would have real difficulty in contacting them during their journey or on Bridger Island. It had been decided that Michael and the girls would travel with Dagwood and Ben, and they would travel separately from Cara and Lucas, who would be travelling with Nathan and Kristin. Jim would be travelling with Jonathan, Katie, and Piccolo.

Leaving the hospital was quite frightening for Cara, so she held onto Lucas and Nathan. At one point, she thought that she was going to have a panic attack, but Kristin was able to show her some deep breathing exercises, and her fear began to subside. In a flash they were out of the hospital and into the waiting UEO cars.

"There, that wasn't too bad, was it?"

"No," admitted Cara.

Without thinking, Nathan put his arm around Cara. Her reaction was instantaneous, and he was shocked how she pulled away from him and moved to Kristin.

"I'm so sorry, Nathan, I wasn't expecting you to do that," she whispered apologetically.

"That's alright, Cara, I should have thought…"

"Yes, you should have," chided Kristin.

"It's alright, Kristin, Nathan was only being protective." Cara moved towards Nathan, "Now, I know it's you; I'm OK." She smiled at him and took his arm and put it around her shoulders. Lucas moved to the other side of Nathan, who also put his other arm around Lucas's shoulders. The four of them sat in companionable silence on the drive to the helipad where they were going to get their lift to the island.

Cara felt like a celebrity with all the security as she made her way onto the helicopter. Within minutes, they were rising and being deafened by the huge whirling blades, slicing through the air as they were taking them toward the island. Although none of them shared their thoughts outloud, they all had mixed feelings as they crossed the coastline and travelled over the azure sea: anticipation, excitement that all the family would be together, relief at having a safe journey, but most of all apprehension of what was to come.


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you to darkin520 for working her beta magic yet again. Thanks also for reviews and story alerts.**

Chapter 22

When the helicopter touched down on to the ground, Cara could see Kit, Freya, and Michael waiting for them. As soon as it was safe to do so, Freya and Kit ran towards the helicopter and straight into Kristin's arms.

"Oh Kristin, it's wonderful; thank you so much!" beamed Freya, and she turned to Cara, "Mum, you have to come and see what Kristin has arranged; it's magical!" With that, she put each one of her arms into both Kristin's and Cara's arms and let them towards the house. Kit followed on, holding onto Lucas's hand and skipping around and telling him how lovely everything looked. Michael waited for Nathan, and they followed on behind.

Walking towards the house, Cara could begin to see circles of rainbow colours moving in between the trees. She was really intrigued; when she stepped out into the clearing, she let out a gasp. There were crystals hanging from what looked like the sky. In reality, they were suspended from see-through strings radiating from the house to various points around it. There was a huge marquee decorated with streamers and a banner saying, "Happy Birthday, Freya." The _seaQuest_ crew came over to greet the new arrivals; Katie had drinks on a tray with Ben helping out. The smell of a barbeque wafted around the house, and everyone was laughing and smiling.

"This is perfect!" announced Lucas.

"Not quite," Ben said, smiling. "There is someone waiting to see you," and he pointed to the water.

"Darwin!" shouted Lucas, running over to the waters edge, and then, into the sea to meet his friend.

Cara put her arms around Kristin.

"Thank you. It's just the best surprise ever. You must have worked so hard to get everything ready."

"Oh, I had a little help," Kristin replied with a smile and a nod of her head, indicating the smiling faces of the crew members that were all watching Lucas and Darwin's reunion.

The afternoon was spent talking to friends, laughing, drinking, and playing games. The highlight of the day was the volleyball match just before the barbeque was ready.

Ben, Piccolo, Nathan, Katie, and Kit played against Miguel, Freya, Michael, Tim, and Kristin.

Cara, Lucas, Dagwood, and Jim watched and cheered as the match progressed.

Cara was amused to see the sports rivalry between Nathan and Michael edging its way to the surface, and nobody seemed to mind that Kit cheated. Everyone was having a really good time.

Michael's team finally won, and begrudgingly, Nathan conceded. Cara was really amused to see Michael running up to Nathan doing the victory dance that they used to do to each other when they were children. Nathan replied by throwing the contents of a bottle of water into Michael's face. She could see what the next scene was going to be until Kristin came up and separated them and told them to both go and get changed. When all of the team members were ready, the barbeque was served. As the sun was setting, the fires and candles were lit, giving the crystals more magical colours to reflect around the house and the groups of people sitting and chatting.

Michael came over to Cara with a drink for her. She had been watching Kit sitting with Dagwood and Lucas and Freya talking to Ben and Katie. Lucas had his arm around Freya, and they all looked so happy. Nathan was sitting on the sand with Kristin in his arms.

"Here you are, Cara; your favourite; apple and mango."

"Thank you; would you like to come and sit with me?"

"More than anything." Michael eased himself down next to Cara.

"Michael …," she began.

"Cara, you don't have to say anything. I thank God everyday I have you back. I can't imagine what you must have gone through in the clutches of that maniac. But, you are here now, and as long as it takes for you to feel better, I will be here for you."

"I love you," she said, looking into his eyes.

It was the first time she had said that to him in what seemed a long while.

"And I love you."

She slipped her hand into his, and they watched their friends, enjoying each other's company as the sun set over the calm sea surrounding Bridger Island.

A little while later, Cara began to get sleepy and decided it was time to go to bed. She said goodnight to everyone one and went off to get ready for bed.

Michael went to join Tim and Miguel, who were having an animated talk about what improvements could be made to the Stinger. Time passed, and people had started to drift off to bed. There was a huge tent behind the house that had been divided into bedrooms, and the male members of the crew were sleeping there. Katie had a bedroom inside the house. Kristin had told Michael she would get Kit off to bed. Michael finally persuaded Lucas and Freya to go to bed. He found them in the sea with Darwin.

"Dad," Freya said, greeting him with a smile and kissing him on the cheek, "I've had a brilliant day."

"And I think there is more to come tomorrow, so you should be getting some sleep so you can appreciate it. And you, young man," he said, turning to Lucas, "still need your rest in order to speed up your recovery."

"OK," agreed Lucas.

All three headed up to the house.

Lucas and Freya went off to their rooms, and Michael headed off to his. Cara was asleep on her side of the bed. He watched her for a little while and lay on the bed next to her gently stroking her hair. He could not take in what she had gone through. He could still see yellow bruising over her arms and back as well as thin red scars from whatever had been used to beat her. The brand was not fading and stood out, announcing that she was the property of Lawrence Wolenczak. He hated that man more than he had ever hated anyone in his life. Despite what Nathan said, Michael _did_ want to kill him. Michael was not a violent man, but what that monster had done to Cara and to Lucas, then to Freya and Kit, made him burn up inside. His body language must have changed, and he didn't realise it, but the way he was stroking Cara's hair had changed. It was now becoming harder and he was pushing his hand down onto her head.

Cara was having a nightmare. She was in Wolenczak's office, trying to put in the code to let _seaQuest_ know where she and Lucas were, but she couldn't remember the last digit. She was panicking, and then, she felt someone breathing on her neck. She looked round, and it was Wolenczak. He had come back without her knowing. She turned round and saw someone looking at her intently. She screamed and at the same time thought, _'Lucas, help!'_

Several things all happened at once. The bedroom door flew open, and Lucas rushed in, followed closely by Nathan, Kristin, and Katie, and Michael leapt off the bed. Lucas took his place, stroking Cara's face, trying to calm her down.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"I…I was having a nightmare, and I woke up and I thought it was …it was…"

Everyone knew who she meant.

"I am so sorry, Cara," interrupted Michael, "I didn't mean to scare you, I…" he didn't know what to say. The people in the room were silent for a moment.

Then Kristin took over.

"Nathan, could you go and put the kettle on? I think we all need a cup of tea. Katie, could you go and check on the girls to see if they are alright? Michael, come on with me; we'll give Cara some time to calm down, and I'm sure Lucas will help. It's been a scare for you both, but everything is alright now."

Lucas and Cara were left alone. "Lucas, I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," he replied, squeezing her hand.

"It was just that I was dreaming I was back in the office, trying to input the call number, and I forgot the last number. And your father came in behind me, and I turned round and Michael was staring at me so intently and holding onto my hair that I thought it was Wolenczak. I was so scared; I just wanted you."

"Hey, it's OK."

"But I upset Michael; I know I did."

"He'll understand; he loves you, and he knows you are getting better. But it just takes time; that's all."

"I hope so."

"It will."

Meanwhile, Kristin was with Michael.

"How could I have been so stupid, scaring her like that?" He threw his hands up in the air, just like Nathan did, as a sign of disappointment with himself.

"Michael, don't be angry with yourself," soothed Kristin.

"We had such a relaxed evening, and then, I went to bed and saw her lying there. I was stroking her hair and saw the brand on her shoulder and began thinking of what she must have gone through. I think I hurt her, and she woke up. Oh God, _I_ hurt her, and it made her wake up. How could I do that to her?" He looked at Kristin, and she wanted to cry; he looked so distressed and upset. She went to him and put her arms around him. "Michael, Cara was having a nightmare, and she woke up, not expecting to see anyone. You just made her jump. She told me before we came to the island how she missed being with you and wanted to try and spend some time with you."

"And now look what I've done; I spoiled it!"

"Be patient, Michael, it just takes time."

"Do you think so? You don't think I've made her frightened of me?"

"No, of course not! Let her calm down, and she will be alright. She probably needs to be with Lucas for a little while. You know he can calm her down."

"Yes, he's so good with her. I'll go into his room."

"Not before you've had your tea. You know what Nathan's like – if he makes the tea, you have to drink it!"

"I remember." Michael smiled and added, "And thank you." He kissed her on the cheek.

"You are very welcome," replied Kristin, and they both went off to find Nathan.

Katie was helping Nathan in the kitchen.

"Were the girls alright?" asked Kristin as she entered the room. It seemed that no-one else had heard Cara's scream, for which she was very grateful.

Katie nodded. "When I got to the room, Dagwood was sitting in the chair by Kit's bed; he had heard Cara's scream and immediately gone to check on the girls. Freya was fast asleep, but Kit began to stir, so he stayed with her to make sure she was alright."

Michael was so grateful to have his daughters surrounded by such caring people. Kristin took two cups of tea and went to Cara's room. Cara and Lucas were sitting up on the bed.

"Drink; it's Nathan's night time tea, his speciality, guaranteed to knock you out." She passed the cups over, and they both took a sip.

"Do I detect alcohol?" queried Cara.

"Maybe, Kristin said with a smile and said, "Sleep well; Michael's going to sleep in your room, Lucas."

"Is he alright?" asked Cara.

"He's fine; we all need a good night's sleep. See you in the morning."

Within fifteen minutes, everyone was fast asleep. Nathan's night time tea certainly helping everyone to spend the rest of the night in peace.

The next morning, Cara woke up with the sunlight streaming through the curtains, which were gently billowing in the breeze. Lucas was still asleep. She quietly got off the bed and opened the door. She crept through the house until she reached Lucas's room. Michael was still fast asleep. It was now her turn to be the observer; she sat in the chair and watched her husband.

His chest gently rose and fell, and she wondered what he was dreaming about. She longed to turn back time and erase the memory of her time with Wolenczak. How could two men be so different? Michael was so kind and loving to his family. He was her friend, her lover, and her protector, yet eight weeks with Wolenczak had caused her to put up a barrier to her husband. Deep down, she knew that it would be alright and that she would heal, but it would be in small steps. She decided to take one of those steps and gently slipped into the bed next to her husband and tentatively put her arm on his shoulder. He moved, and a shudder of panic swept through her body, causing her to stiffen. She sat up.

"It's alright, Cara," he said quietly without turning towards her. "We can take it very slowly; I'm so sorry I hurt you last night."

"Michael, I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did, I don't want to push you away."

He turned around and faced her. "You didn't." He sat up too and put his hand into hers.

They both leaned back and looked out of the window. The trees were gently swaying making all the crystals appear to be dancing in the air.

"I love this island," she said.

"So do I."

"And I love you, too."

"I know."

As Kit woke up, the first person she saw was Dagwood. She gave him a huge smile which he returned.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Shall we go and have breakfast?"

"O..K…"

They left a sleeping Freya and walked towards the kitchen where various members of the crew were eating an assortment of food.

Kit bounded over to Ben. "Can we play volleyball again?"

"Soon; as long as you don't cheat."

"Will you play Frisbee with me?"

"Eventually."

"Can I have some of what you're eating?"

"Yes, come on." He helped her sit on the breakfast stool next to him and reached over for a spoon for her, she began to eat his cereal."

"Are you and Katie going to get married?"

Ben nearly choked on his food and coughed, "Do you come from the Tony Piccolo school of charm and tact?"

"No," she replied, "I come from the UEO School. So are you and Katie going to get married?"

"We've already been married."

"Why aren't you now?"

"It's a long story."

"So why can't you get married again?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I saw you kissing Katie last night." She giggled. By this time, Ben was acutely aware that the rest of the kitchen was deathly silent, and all ears were on the conversation he was having with Kit.

"Well, you can kiss someone and not marry them."

"But you do like Katie, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you marry her? I think she's lovely."

"Yes, Ben why don't you marry Katie?" joined in Piccolo.

Ben smiled at Piccolo, and through gritted teeth whispered, "Remember who's doing duty rota when we get back."

"So…" continued Kit, "You could get married at the same time as Uncle Nathan and Kristin, and you could have a joint wedding."

"Double wedding," Ben corrected.

"So, you will?"

"What? No!"

"But you said double wedding," stated Kit.

"I didn't mean…"

That was the precise moment Katie decided to walk in with Kristin.

Kit beamed at them, "Katie, Ben is going to marry you at the same time as Uncle Nathan and Kristin, and he said you can have a double wedding."

Katie was stunned. Ben was now beetroot red. and everyone else was wishing they had their camcorders with them to record this event for future viewing.

"I didn't. She set me up!"

Kristin looked at Kit. "Have you been asking too many questions again?"

"No!" She protested, "I just want Katie and Ben to be happy and get married again because I know that they love each other. They kissed last night; I saw!"

"Well, young lady, you just have to let people decide for themselves and stop putting words into their mouths!"

Everyone laughed, including Ben and Katie, who looked at one another for quite a while before they returned to what they were doing.

Lucas woke up. For a moment, he couldn't work out where he was. Then, he remembered. Cara wasn't there. He got up and went towards his room. It was quiet, and so, he could hear Michael and Cara talking, so he decided he would leave them alone as they both needed time together. He went to the girls' room, knocked and went in. Kit wasn't in bed, but Freya was still asleep. He walked towards her. She was on her left side, breathing gently. Her left hand was on the pillow and her right arm was crossed over her body. The sunlight through the crystals outside made rainbows dance around the room, and they moved over her face and blonde hair. Just at that moment, Lucas realised how pretty Freya actually was. He sat at the end of the bed. It was so calm and warm and secure here. He had had a wonderful day yesterday, and he finally got to see Darwin. Lucas was with all the people who meant so much to him; he really wished this time could last forever. He did not have that knot in the base of his stomach, and he did not feel guilty or worried, just happy to be alive, and he had not felt like that for a long while. The moment of calm was soon shattered by Kit flinging the door open and launching herself at Lucas. They both fell on the bed and woke Freya up.

"Come on, Freya, come and swim with me. Come on, Lucas, PLEASE?"

"Morning," said Freya, smiling at Lucas.

Lucas automatically smiled back at her. She really was very pretty.

"OK, trouble," she said to Kit and then turned to Lucas. "Do you want to come? You don't have to if you don't feel like it."

"No, I'd like to."

"I need to change. See you outside in five minutes?"

"OK."

By the time Lucas got outside, Kit was already in the water with Freya and Darwin. He had swimming shorts and a T-shirt on as he was still very conscious of the marks still left on his back and didn't want the girls to see them. They all had a brilliant time, swimming, diving, and generally playing around. From the house, Nathan and Kristin looked on, pleased that Lucas was finally seeming to relax and enjoy himself. They were soon joined by Michael, Cara, and the rest of the crew, who gave them some time before everyone joined the three youngest members of the group, who were having such a good time. Everyone went in for a swim. Cara too had a T shirt on over her swimming costume. However, in the water both Lucas and Cara's T-shirts became almost transparent, and each member of the crew individually was shocked at the marks still visible on their bodies, especially the brands and burns which still showed up very clearly through the T-shirt material. Looks were passed amongst the crew, and it made them all the more determined to find Wolenczak and make him pay for what he had done to their friends, including Jim Brody.

Everyone lunched together and then were told by Kristin to go and dress for the party. The band and disc jockey arrived, as well as caterers.

The afternoon and evening was spent dancing, singing, playing party games, eating and ended with Freya being presented with a huge birthday cake in the shape of a crystal with fourteen rainbows radiating out from it, each with a candle.

Freya had talked and danced with everyone and was now dancing with Nathan. Michael was dancing with a very tired Kit. He picked her up, and almost immediately, she fell asleep on his shoulder. Lucas was talking very animatedly to Piccolo, Tim, and Miguel. Jonathan and Jim were in deep conversation, and Ben and Katie were sitting together on one of the swinging chairs that had been brought in especially. Dagwood was watching with a huge piece of cake in his hand.

Cara and Kristin were sitting watching.

"It's perfect isn't it?" asked Cara.

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you so much for organising this."

"It's my pleasure. Do you want me to come in with you tonight, and Michael can go in with Nathan?"

"No, I want to try and be with Michael again. We had a really nice time together this morning when we woke up. We sat for a long time in bed; he had his arm around me, and we just talked. Michael is so patient."

"Good, I think that it is the right decision. Oh look, Dagwood had taken Kit off Michael, and now he is dancing with her. Isn't that sweet?"

"Yes," agreed Cara, who was now looking at Lucas, who had just gone to dance with Freya. Michael and Nathan came to join Kristin and Cara. They watched the four people on the dance floor. Dagwood was sidestepping as gently as he could, not particularly in time to the music, but Kit was fast asleep on his shoulder, holding onto his shirt. Lucas and Freya were dancing a slow dance together. They were talking, and then moved closer so Freya had her head on his shoulder.

"I wish this could last forever." Cara sighed.

"Just be happy with the moment," replied Michael, putting his arm round her. Do you want to dance?"

"I'd love to." They held hands and went to dance next to their daughters.

"Captain Bridger."

"Yes, ma'am." Nathan led Kristin on to the dance area and held her closely as they danced together.

Much later that night, when everyone was in bed, Cara sat bolt upright. She had felt the agony of someone in pain. Their cries for help sliced through her consciousness like a razor-sharp knife.

"Darwin!" she gasped.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N Many, many thanks to darkin520 for her Beta skills and help.**

Chapter 23

Cara turned to the sleeping Michael and shook him.

"Michael, wake up! Something has happened to Darwin – go get Nathan."

Michael didn't know what was happening. At first, he thought something had happened to Cara. He sat bolt upright and stared at her. Cara repeated her order.

By the time Michael was heading towards Nathan and Kristin's room, he passed Lucas, who was heading towards Cara's and Michael's room. Lucas had felt Cara's terror and headed straight for her.

She met Lucas at the door. "We need torches." Lucas hadn't realised it was still dark outside. He went to the kitchen and picked up one of the torches, while leaving the other one the counter. As he was leaving, Freya and Kit called out to him. Kit had obviously been crying. He went to them and put his arm around Kit.

"It's Darwin, isn't it?" asked Freya.

"Yes, but how…?"

"We both heard him. I can't explain it. We just know he's in pain."

"I'm just going to find your mom; she's outside."

By the time they caught up with Cara, she was heading towards the shore line.

"Darwin's distressed; I'm trying to find out where he is, but all I can pick up is waves of hurt." She was really upset. Both she and Lucas knew deep down inside that it was something to do with Wolenczak, but she couldn't verbalise her dread.

Kit had slipped her hand into Cara's.

"Mummy, I heard him too. It was awful."

They heard noise from behind them, turned and saw Nathan and Michael heading towards them.

"Cara what is it? What did you sense?" Nathan was ashen-faced as he asked.

"Darwin is in pain; I can't distinguish language, but I know he is somewhere close." She began to tear up. Michael came to her and put his arm round her. Nathan looked at the girls.

Kit said, "He's in really cold water; I know he feels cold."

"I can't sense that, but I trust your instincts," replied Cara.

"We'll find him." Nathan took over, "Lucas, Freya, you come with me, and we'll go north. Michael, you Cara and Kit go south." Almost as soon as he finished speaking, he was off next to Lucas and Freya, shining his torch along the waterline.

Kristin had gone to wake Katie up who immediately went to wake the rest of the crew. Kristin then grabbed some essential medical equipment and hurried off to find Nathan. Within minutes, the whole of the beach was lit up by torch lights. Nathan's group had been looking for some time; and covered a lot of the island. Kristin had to run to find them.

"Can you sense anything, Freya?" asked Nathan anxiously. Kristin slipped her hand into his; she knew how much Darwin meant to him.

Freya shook her head. They walked on, and Nathan wanted to turn back as he didn't think there was anything further up the shore line because they had been slowly climbing. Freya resisted as something was beginning to draw her towards a set of rocks.

"I think… I think I can feel…" She pointed past the rocks. Nathan pushed through the undergrowth to reveal a waterfall.

"He's down there," said Freya

The sun was just beginning to rise, but they still needed their torches to find a track down to the ground. The small waterfall delivered its sweet water into the salty ocean, and at this point, they could see the outline of a dolphin in the brackish water, lying very still.

"My God, Darwin!" Nathan must have jumped the last several feet, not caring if he injured himself as he was so determined to get to his friend as soon as he could.

Darwin lay very still.

"What is it, my friend?" soothed Nathan, as he scooped water up over Darwin's body. Kristin immediately began to do a visual examination of the dolphin.

Freya and Lucas came to stand by Nathan; Freya put her hand gently on Darwin's body.

"I can sense that it's not so much as pain now as shock; I don't know how to describe it." She paused – "I've got my phone. I'll call whoever I can."

Amidst Nathan's overwhelming worry about Darwin, he couldn't help but wonder what a really sensible girl Freya was. He had come out in shorts and a top that he had quickly thrown on when he had gotten the call from Michael. But here was Freya with a phone – ready to call for help.

Lucas, too, was scanning Darwin's body for injury. He couldn't see anything on the side exposed to them but wanted to know what had caused his mammalian friend to scream out in pain. Darwin remained very still. He was in shock. Lucas heard Freya talking to people and then giving the phone over to his dad to describe where they were.

Kristin carefully began an examination of Darwin, starting with his snout and working her way gently over his body. She was concentrating really hard so as not to miss anything that might indicate the source of Darwin's pain, as a marine biologist, she knew the importance of finding the problem as soon as possible.

As all three of them stood by Darwin, watching Kristin's meticulous, methodical inspection of his body, Freya began to shiver.

"Kit was right; this water is cold, where the fresh water meets the sea water."

Dagwood was the first to arrive, striding through the undergrowth, with Kit in his arms.

"Darwin!" Kit cried as she got down and began to run over to him.

"Ssh," whispered, Freya, "don't disturb him; let Kristin finish looking at him."

"No, he wants me to turn him," answered Kit. "He is injured on the other side."

"Kit, how do you know?" asked Nathan.

"He told me," she stated simply, and then turned to Dagwood, "Can you turn him gently. Is that alright Aunty Kristin?"

Kristin smiled, it was the first time Kit had called her Aunty, but now was not the time to dwell on her acceptance into the family. She knew that Darwin was trying to tell them something and at the moment, Kit seemed to be his link to them.

"Of course, sweetheart." She turned to Dagwood, "Can you manage that?"

Dagwood nodded. He carefully moved Darwin around to his other side. There, emblazoned on Darwin's left side, was a circle and in the circle the letters PoW.

Kristin put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. 'How could any one do this to Darwin?' She thought. She went to her bag and brought out some antiseptic wipes and very, very tenderly began dabbing the area that was damaged.

Lucas's mark immediately began to burn again. His father had branded Darwin. Lucas collapsed.

"It's my fault."

"How do you work that one out?" asked Freya.

"My father did this to him. When we were having a good time, no one looked out for Darwin, and my father took the opportunity to remind us that he is still out there, waiting."

"Lucas, we'll talk when we get back to the house." Nathan laid his hand on Lucas's shoulder. "But it is not your fault. Freya, would you stay with him?"

"Of course."

Freya sat on the ground next to Lucas and put her hand into his. He squeezed it and smiled at her, but they both knew how bad he was feeling about Darwin.

The next couple of hours involved all the crew finding them and deciding what was going to happen to Darwin. As Darwin had still not made any movement, Kristin decided that he needed to go and see Malcolm Lansdowne and spend some time there recuperating.

Nathan, Piccolo, and Dagwood manoeuvred Darwin into the small river that connected the waterfall to the sea, and then took him around the coast line so that they ended up in the sea just outside the house.

Kristin had gone into the house to talk to Malcolm, who immediately offered all his help for Darwin. Cara had gone to make drinks for everyone, as a team of the crew were always with Darwin, keeping him afloat and safe. Freya had walked back with Lucas and they were sitting in the kitchen with Cara and Michael. Kit had some breakfast and went out to Darwin.

When she got to him, Nathan was stroking him and talking gently to him.

"Aunty Kristin said you should go and have a break, or you will get cross and grumpy. Oh! I shouldn't have said the cross and grumpy thing, that was our secret."

Even under all the upset, Kit still made Nathan laugh. How wonderful to be eight years-old again and not worry about diplomacy.

Kit waded into the water. She held onto Nathan's hand and put one hand on Darwin.

"Hello, Darwin, have you found Red Teddy yet?"

And to everyone's relief, Darwin responded. He moved his tail and made a very slight noise.

Nathan and the crew were overjoyed, and Nathan swept Kit up into his arms.

"Miss Bridger, you never, ever fail to amaze me!"

"That's my job." She nodded proudly. "Now go on inside and have a drink before you get grumpy!"

Nathan went to tell everyone the good news.

It was decided that everyone should head back to the _seaQuest_. A boat with a water tank was going to pick up Darwin, Nathan, Piccolo and Miguel and they were going straight to Malcolm's home where he had the facilities to take care of their Cetacean friend. The rest of the crew would get a boat to the mainland. Cara and Lucas were going to visit the _seaQuest _before returning to hospital.

"I'm so sorry your birthday weekend has been spoiled, Freya," said Kristin.

"No, I've had a great time. I just can't believe how Darwin has been a target. But he certainly seems to be better than he was. I can't really sense any pain now."

Kristin marvelled at the gift Cara, Freya, and Kit possessed deep down inside, especially Kit as she seemed closest to Darwin's feelings.

The next hour was spent with everyone eating, packing, and getting ready for the boat to take them back to the mainland.

Lucas, Freya, and Kit said goodbye to Darwin. Lucas had really wanted to go with him but was persuaded to wait for a while until he felt he was stronger. He had been very reluctant but had finally agreed.

As the boat carrying everyone landed, UEO security cars were waiting to collect them.

Then, it happened.

As Kit was waiting with Michael, a car screamed up, slammed on its breaks, and opened its door. A shot rang out, Michael fell, and Kit was gone. Cara screamed. Dagwood, who was helping to unload the boat, stopped and turned. He then shouted, "Kit!" and ran after the car. His speed was incredible. As this was happening, Cara rushed towards Michael, but she and Lucas were bundled into a car.

As the car with Kit in it slowed down to take a corner, Dagwood caught up with it, held onto the back bumper and smashed his fist down onto the boot. With the hole that he made, he held onto the car. The car began to accelerate, but to no avail. The strength of Dagwood was truly amazing. The crew had followed, and security men followed. They pointed their guns at the driver, who turned off the engine. Dagwood ripped the door open and picked up a very shocked Kit, who held onto him very tightly.

Dagwood turned to the driver, "It is good for you that I am holding Kit because, otherwise, I would kill you." Anyone who knew Dagwood would be shocked at his tone. It was deep and menacing. This was Dagwood, the GELF, showing what he was capable of. He could not bear the thought of Kit being kidnapped and would have risked anything to get her back. Very rarely did Dagwood use all his extra abilities, but today, he had used them all to save his friend.

Dagwood returned to the boat, holding onto Kit. Tim and Ben came back with him, as Jonathan and Katie had stayed with the security forces to take the kidnappers into custody.

They saw Kristin on the floor with Michael.

"Daddy!" shouted Kit and struggled to get down, and she began running to him.

"It's alright, Kit. He's not hurt badly, just a flesh wound," soothed Kristin.

Michael smiled at Kit as she rushed into his arms.

"How are you, Kitten?"

"Fine; Dagwood was brilliant. He really scared the men. Where's mummy?"

"Your Mother and Lucas got into the security car; they'll be fine."

At that moment two more UEO security cars pulled up. The driver got out of the first one.

"Apologies, Ma'am," he said, directing himself to Kristin, "There was an accident, and we were delayed. I hope you did not have to wait too long."

Kristin stared at him. "Surely, one of your cars came earlier to pick up Mrs Bridger and Lucas Bridger?"

"No, sorry, ma'am, none of our cars got through."

Kristin looked at Michael. Her blood began to turn to ice.

"Oh my God! He's taken them again. Darwin, Kit, the accident; they were all a set-up so he could take Cara and Lucas. We walked straight into his trap."

Michael held very tightly onto Kit. He looked round and then turned to Kristin.

"Where's Freya?"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N Thank you for your reviews and suggestions and bien merci to darkin520 yet again for her beta skills :)**

Chapter 24

Before Lucas opened his eyes, he knew who he was going to see, so he kept them closed. He could feel a dull ache in the middle of his head and a slight feeling of nausea; he decided it must be from the gas that was used to knock Cara and himself out when they got into the car.

As soon as Lucas realised that the people who bundled him into the car were not UEO security forces, he had tried to get out, but the doors were locked and the last thing he remembered was looking at the panic on Cara's face as she also knew that all was not right. The feeling that he got in the pit of his stomach when he had to face his father had also returned, like some old familiar but unwanted acquaintance. As far as he could make out, nothing else seemed to be hurting. He knew that would change imminently.

'_Cara?_' There was no reply. He couldn't think of anything else to do.

He opened his eyes and blinked in the bright light.

"Hello, Lucas."

Cara was woken up by Lucas's pain. She sat up and wished she hadn't because the pounding in her head and the wave of nausea that swept through her body made her retch. She tried to take deep breaths, open her eyes slowly, and try to work out where she was. She had no doubt who she was with because she felt a tightness around her insides and a feeling of expectation which she knew was fear. She was sitting on the floor of a small room. There was no one else in the room. The tightness in her body increased. She was terrified. She couldn't face being treated so badly again. She was just beginning to feel that everything was going to be alright and now this; she had sensed that Lucas was keeping something back from her when they were in the hospital; and now, she knew: it was his dread of being captured again.

The key in the lock of the only door in the room turned, and it was opened. She just sat looking at it.

"Hello, little lady."

Curtis came striding through the door and with one movement of his hands, gripped her arm in a vice-like grip, pulled her up. and was moving her towards the door. She was pushed through a hallway and into another room.

Wolenczak was standing with his back to the door. As she came in h.e turned and walked towards her.

"Good afternoon. I'm so pleased that we have managed to catch up at last." And with that, he lifted his arm and backhanded her so severely that the force knocked her to the ground. She just wanted to lay there and die, and then, she saw Lucas.

By the time Kristin had arranged for Michael, Kit, Ben, Tim, Jim, Dagwood, and herself to be taken safely onto the _seaQuest,_ Nathan was on his way back, leaving Piccolo and Miguel still en route to Malcolm's facility. Darwin had been more responsive. and both young crewmen had assured him that they would look after Darwin and ensure his safety.

Ben had wanted to go with Katie, Jonathon, and the security forces to make Kit's kidnappers tell them where Lucas and Cara were, but he was in such an agitated state that Kristin knew he may compromise the interrogation and get himself de-commissioned in the process. Dagwood was very concerned with looking after Kit as she had been crying since she found out that Cara, Freya, and Lucas were missing and that her dad had been shot, so Kristin had no problem in persuading him to come with them.

Michael had been taken to sick bay, and Kit had perched on the trolley holding onto his hand. In her own environment, Kristin at least felt useful and began to clean and dress Michael's bullet wound.

"I can't feel Mummy or Freya," sobbed Kit, "I usually know when they are close, but it's like the first time. Mummy must be really far away." And she put her head down onto Michael's chest and clung onto his shirt.

Cara's eyes blinked back tears as she saw Lucas. He was on his knees. He must have already received a welcome-back beating from Wolenczak as his mouth was bleeding; bruises were already forming along the left-hand side of his face, and he was holding his stomach.

"Stand up and let me look at you, Mrs Bridger." He said it quietly, and Cara knew it was non-negotiable. Shakily, she arose and put her hand on a small table to steady herself.

He looked her up and down.

"Turn round."

She did so.

"You are looking quite healthy and seem to have put a little weight back on – we can't have that." He paused. "What colour is your underwear?"

"Blue," she whispered.

"Show me."

Cara started to undo her blouse, her arms felt like lead, but she was on automatic-pilot. She stopped when she got to her bra.

"Take your shirt off." Cara knew it was his obsession with power.

"No! Leave her alone!" It was Lucas.

Wolenczak turned and kicked Lucas in the ribs.

Cara wanted to rush over to Lucas, to protect him from his father, and to take him away back to _seaQuest_, but her feet were rooted to the spot and she was numb with fear.

"Curtis, restrain my errant son. I don't know; a little time away from his father and he loses all his manners. We will just have to go through the lessons again." As Curtis went towards Lucas with some tie-fasteners, Wolenczak turned back to Cara. "Now, where were we? Oh yes, take your shirt off."

Cara obeyed,

"Now, your skirt."

Cara unzipped her skirt and stepped out of it. She felt so vulnerable.

"Now, Mrs Bridger, I'm going to ask you some questions, and for your well-being and the well-being of Lucas, I expect the truth. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispered.

She didn't even see the hand being raised until it impacted across the other side of her face."

"Manners, Mrs Bridger; yes, what?"

She wanted to shout, '_Yes, you maniacal bastard, leave us both alone; I hope you rot in hell!'_ But, she couldn't since she was so scared.

"Yes, Mr Wolenczak."

"That's much better." He smiled with his mouth but not his eyes. Cara didn't look at them for long, preferring to look at the ground, but she knew that they were filled with hate, revenge, and perhaps what she was most afraid of... the lust for power. "Now let me take you back to the last time we were together. Do you remember I asked you if you had sent a message on the Internex?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak."

"Well, Mrs Bridger, did you send a message?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak."

"So you lied to me?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak."

"Do you think you deserve to be punished?"

She was silent.

He went over to Lucas and pulled him up. Lucas's hands were now tied behind his back. Lucas winced as he was moved but tried not to show it.

"Do you deserve to be punished, or shall I punish Lucas too?"

She didn't even think, "It was my fault. I made Lucas give me the information and cause a distraction…"

"No, it was my fault. I made the keyboard and persuaded…" Lucas couldn't stand the thought of Cara being punished for something they both did.

"You don't have to say anything, Lucas; it was my fault…"

"No, it was my idea."

"ENOUGH!" commanded Wolenczak, "It looks as though you were both as bad as each other, and you are both equally to blame. Do you know how much inconvenience you both caused me?" He looked from one captive to the other and said very slowly and pointedly, "A great deal. I am going to demonstrate how angry you made me. Curtis, do you have the reminder for me?"

Cara watched Curtis bring out a long thin piece of leather from behind his back. It was a riding whip. He dropped Lucas to the ground and walked toward Cara.

"Ladies, first."

By the time Nathan arrived back on _seaQuest_, he had been in contact with security to find if there was any trace of the car that took Lucas and Cara. He had been informed that it did not register on any surveillance network; it had simply disappeared. That was the trouble, dealing with a genius. Lucas had said many times not to under-estimate Lawrence Wolenczak, as he had one of the finest minds on the planet. Nathan headed straight to sick bay, as he knew that's where Kristin would be. As he entered, he saw Michael lying on one of the beds with Kit lying on top of him, sound asleep. Kristin and Dagwood were just in the process of picking her up and laying her on the bed next to him. Dagwood gently covered her with blankets and sat by the side of the bed, stroking her face. Nathan was so relieved that he was surrounded by such dedicated crew members. The look of concern on Dagwood's face for Kit reflected how everyone felt.

"How are they?" His voice made Kristin jump. She was so relieved to see him and went over to him, and he enveloped her in his arms. She still held on to him as she spoke.

"Nathan, I'm so glad you are here. Michael's bullet went straight through, but he's not responding to treatment. In fact, he's begun to run a fever. If I didn't know better, I would say that he has been poisoned. I've taken some blood, and I'm in the process of running tests. I've given him something to make him sleep. Kit has been so upset; she had cried herself to sleep."

Nathan gave one of his famous reassuring smiles. He held Kristin closer. "If anyone can find out what has happened to Mike, it's you. I'm going to try and find if there is anything we can find out from the people who tried to take Kit. Any lead would be very welcome just about now."

"Tim has been scanning all the cameras in the area to see if he can piece together anything."

"I'll check that out first." Nathan went over to the bed where Michael was sleeping. He looked at his younger brother and held onto the rail by the side of his bed, "Hang in there, kiddo, I'll find them and bring them back to you. That's your big brother's promise."

He turned and gave Kristin another smile and went off to find Tim O'Neill.

Tim's eyes were aching. Ben was sitting by his side looking at endless camera angles of what happened. It was so difficult to see as there were lots of people around at the time Kit was taken. In addition, there was running and shouting, the car arriving and Lucas and Mrs Bridger being bundled into it. They just couldn't see Freya. She was always hidden by someone taller than she was so they did not have a clear view of her movements.

"This is ridiculous!" sighed Ben, angry at Tim, himself, the situation, everything.

"Come on, Ben," encouraged Tim – six eyes are better than four, and he wiggled his glasses. "Let's try a different approach. We do not have to try to find all of Freya, but evidence of her – do you remember she was wearing that forest green top and black shorts? She had rainbow bracelets on and green flip flops."

"Wow! How do you know?"

Tim looked a little embarrassed, but continued, "I just remembered thinking how pretty she was, I bought her the bracelets for her birthday and was really pleased she had worn them. I also thought of how much like Mrs Bridger she looked."

"Yes, you're right. Let's start to pick out what we can." They both returned to their vigilant scanning of the surveillance tapes. When Nathan came into see them, they told him what they were doing, and he approved of their tactics. He left them to try and find out what had happened to his eldest niece.

Lucas watched as his father slashed the whip down across Cara's back. He had never, ever wanted to see her being hurt ever again. He knew it was his turn next. He didn't care about himself; well, he did really because he never got used to the pain, but to be in the position of seeing someone you love being hurt so badly in front of you, you just wanted it to be over for them. She had started to gasp at the pain, each time that Wolenczak brought the whip down, she cried out. He finished with her. Curtis lifted her off the table and used cable ties to secure her hands behind her back.

"Let's see how you think your way out of these, little lady," he whispered into her ear.

Lucas's attention was now on his father, who had just told him to go to him. He got up with difficulty and walked towards his father. Memories of taking that walk came flooding back to him.

_Lucas was five years old. He was in his bedroom and had made a model of a submarine. He had used cardboard rolls, magazines, and so much sticky tape. He was really proud. He had been left alone, as his mother was out somewhere and his father was downstairs working on something. Lucas had wanted to show him what his ideas were and ran down the stairs. As he entered the den where his father was, he had tripped up over his shoe lace. He lurched forward and held out his hands to steady himself. He grabbed onto the table which tipped and spilled the glass of wine onto his father's notebook. His father had looked up at him. "Come here, you stupid waste of space."_

"_Daddy, it was an accident, I came to show you my submarine. I'll clear it up." _

_Lawrence got up, dragged Lucas to the table. He snatched the submarine from him and threw it into the fire. As Lucas watched his pride and joy go up in flames, the first blow fell across his head. After he had finished with him, Wolenczak picked Lucas up and threw him into the downstairs cloakroom where, Ann, their maid, found him the next day. Lucas could remember how cold and lonely he felt. He called to his mother when he heard her come in, but she did not come to him. Ann had let him out and sent him upstairs to his room. At the time, he couldn't understand why Ann didn't seem to care. It was only later he found out that all the servants were told that they could not interfere with the family life – on threat of dismissal. _

_Lucas's tenth birthday had been spent locked in the cellar. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what he had done; only that it involved a personal music player and wanting friends to come to the house. He had spoken out of turn and ended up battered, beaten, and on his own for two days and nights. When he was finally let out by his mother, he was told that it was his fault. His personal tutor had not even commented on the bruises and welts that were so visible on Lucas's arms but carried on with the lessons as though nothing had happened._

_After his mother walked out, if possible, his life had got even worse. Wolenczak convinced himself that it was Lucas's fault his wife had left him and took it out on Lucas. Lucas could do no right, no matter how hard he tried to please his father. The staff were unable to help, and so, he was left alone to face his father's wrath. His fourteenth birthday was spent in hospital. His father had broken fourteen of his bones, to mark the occasion. In public, Lawrence Wolenczak was the caring father who had found his son, knocked out by the side of the road, presumably knocked off his bike by a car. The injuries were very plausible with those as a result of a car accident, and Lucas had no one to tell. He had been alone, knowing that no one would help him... _Until, that is, he met Cara. But she now had been drawn into the cycle of violence and abuse with him.

"I said get over here _now_." His father's voice cut through Lucas's consciousness like a knife.

Kristin was working really hard to try and identify the poison that was now spreading through Michael Bridger's system and slowly shutting it down. She did not know what she would have done without Dagwood, who was at Kit's side, ready to talk to her when she woke up. Kristin desperately wanted to be with Kit too, to comfort her, but she knew she had to identify the pathogen that had been introduced into Michael's system.

Nathan had gone to UEO headquarters to find out what the kidnappers knew. When he arrived he was met by Jonathan and Katie, who told him that the kidnappers had told all they knew at the first sign of any interrogation. They were small-time villains who had been approached with a job to do. They were to shoot Michael - they had been given a photo – with a gun and bullets provided. In addition, they were to take either one or both of the daughters. They were to drive round for a while and dump the girls in the suburbs of the city, then leave. They did not know who had contacted them; it was through the Internex, and the account was now closed with no trace left. They had been paid very well and warned to follow the instructions exactly. Jonathan asked if Nathan wanted to see the men, but he declined, not trusting himself to face the people who had put his family back into danger. Nathan briefly called Admiral Noyce to let him know what was happening, and in turn was told that all the resources he needed to find Cara, Lucas and Freya would be at his disposal. He made his way back to the _seaQuest _and went to check on Michael. As soon as he stepped into sick bay, he knew something was really wrong. Michael was now on a ventilator.

Kristin came to him; she looked so tired, but as she spoke, it was with a positive tone, "Nathan, it looks worse than it is, this is just a precaution. I found the pathogen responsible for the poison and have given Michael the first dose of antidote – there may be a reaction, so I am taking every precaution I can to ensure a speedy recovery, which I am sure he will make."

Nathan kissed her almost as soon as she had finished speaking. This was one of the reasons he loved her so much. She was such a perfectionist and would not rest until she identified and found a cure for Michael's condition.

"Where's Kit?" he asked, looking round sick bay.

"Dagwood has taken her to get some ice cream, or chocolate, or whatever she wants. Poor darling, she has been through so much in the last twelve hours."

Nathan did not realise how long it had been. Twelve hours. Twelve hours that Lucas had been in his father's clutches. Nathan closed his eyes, not wanting to imagine what was happening.

It was horrendous. Cara watched Wolenczak beat Lucas with the strength of the maniac that he was.

She couldn't undo the ties on her wrist no matter how hard she thought. She tried to block out the noise of the whip slashing through the air. Her own back was burning. She had forgotten what it was like. In the time she had been in the hospital, her mind had blocked out what the pain had been like, but no longer. Lucas had had his wrists tied in front of him. Before his father had started, he was over the back of the sofa. The whole sofa moved every time the whip came down.

"Please stop; that's enough. Don't hurt him anymore," Cara pleaded, and to her amazement, the noise stopped.

"What will you do if I stop?"

"Anything."

"No, Cara!" Lucas protested.

Wolenczak put the whip down and stood in front of Cara.

"What do I have, Mrs Bridger?" he said, beginning to unzip his trousers.

"Power, Mr. Wolenczak," she admitted and waited to be given instructions.

"Are you sure Daddy will be alright?" asked Kit in a very worried voice. She was looking at the ventilator. Nathan went over to her and led her to the chair where he sat her on his knee.

"What did Kristin say?"

"Well, Aunty Kristin said that the man with a gun shot a poison into Daddy that was called a Jim and now she had found an anti-jim to stop the Jim from going down the path all through Daddy's body."

"Well if that's what Aunty Kristin said happened, it happened, and your Daddy is going to be fine. It just must take a little longer." She put her arms around him.

"Will you make dippy eggs for me?"

"Come on; let's go to the kitchen and just watch me."

Kristin watched the two of them going out of sick bay, hand in hand. She loved Nathan so much; she loved the tenderness he showed his niece. She loved his determination to find his family, and she loved his leadership and loyalty. When this was over, she was going to marry that man and make him hers, and nothing was going to stop her!

Cara was now in a separate room with Lucas. They were both dressed in the outfits they wore when they had been traded as sex slaves. After she had finished with Wolenczak, Curtis had pulled her up and forced her over the sofa, no longer able to wait. She and Lucas had been made to put on the outfits, and Wolenczak and Curtis had once again used the two of them, saying that they were in training for their next sessions that had been booked for later on in the week.

She sat on the floor, looking at Lucas. He had withdrawn into himself and was hugging his knees, gently rocking. She couldn't think of anything to say at the moment, but when she could open her mouth without crying, she would comfort him. She moved over to him and put her arm around him. He responded by moving closer to her and nestling into her shoulder. _'This day cannot get worse,'_ she thought to herself. She was wrong.

'_Mum, where are you? It's really dark in here!'_

'_My God!'_ Cara froze.

'_Freya!_


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N Sorry for the delay that thing called reality got in the way again! And of course, many thanks to darkin520 for being my beta and being awesome**

Chapter 25

"I've found her!" shouted Tim. Ben had been on the verge of closing his eyes as everything had begun to merge into one. He moved over to Tim and looked at the screen where Tim was enhancing the section.

"See, there!" Tim was pointing.

Ben looked very closely, "Where? I can't see anything… Oh, yes, now I see."

Ben could just make out a portion of a forest green t-shirt and a flash of rainbow close to Lucas before they were taken.

"But look, she is not in the back of the car with them. I managed to isolate a couple of milliseconds of footage before the vehicle fell off surveillance. You can see Lucas and Mrs Bridger, but no Freya; she must be somewhere else."

"I think we better let the Captain know," suggested Ben. And both young men went off to find Nathan.

Lucas couldn't understand what had happened to Cara at first, as she had suddenly sat bolt upright.

"What is it?"

"Freya's somewhere near!"

"What! She can't be!"

"Hold on to my hand and concentrate."

'_Freya, where are you?'_

'_I'm in the boot of the car you got into.'_Lucas almost jumped when he heard Freya's thoughts, and nodded to show Cara that he could hear.

'_How?'_

'_When the car came up and the man shot Dad and took Kit, I wanted to be with you. Then, the other car came and bundled you and Lucas in. You didn't see, but one of the men was Edward Curtis. I did some research on him from the Internex. I wanted to tell someone, but everyone was involved with Kit's disappearance, I only had a spit second, so I opened the boot and got in. I heard you and Lucas, and then I smelt something and I've just woken up. Mum, are you alright? Is Lucas with you? What shall I do? I've tried to switch on my PAL, but it's not working._'

Cara had to think quickly.

'_Don't get out of the car yet; I want to make sure that Curtis or Wolenczak are not outside. Lucas is with me, and we can hear what you are saying. You must listen, Freya; only get out when I tell you. Then be very careful; get as far away from here as possible. Do not come near the house, Freya. Please do __**not**__ come.'_ Cara was frantic at the thought of Freya getting caught by Wolenczak.

'_Freya,'_ Lucas had taken over, _'Please, if you want to help us, you need to get away and find a place to set off your PAL. If you stay near the house, you will get caught, and then…'_ He couldn't think of what to say to finish the 'or else…'.

'_Just trust us, Freya,'_ added Cara.

'_I will, Mum, but I'm scared.'_

'_I know, sweetheart, but if we are all very careful, you can get away and raise the alarm. If the boot lid is not open, just concentrate and imagine it opening, and it should. If you are not successful the first time, don't worry; just try again.'_

Lucas, added_,' Switch your PAL on as soon as you are clear of the driveway of the house. Then, keep it switched on. When there is a signal, it will beep and automatically transmit your co-ordinates to the__** seaQuest**__.'_

'_I understand, Lucas; keep safe and take care of Mum.'_

'_I will.'_

'You know, she has a great deal of common sense," comforted Lucas.

"I know, but… Lucas… if Wolenczak or Curtis find her…"

"They_ won't _because we are going to have to make sure their attention is focused on _us _and not outside."

Cara nodded. It was left unsaid that in order for them to make sure the way for Freya to escape was left clear, it would mean that they would have to endure_ extra_ attention from their captors.

They didn't have to wait long. The door opened, and Wolenczak came in.

"Kneel up." They obeyed. "Listen very carefully. You will remember that when you had your encounter with our paying clients, they made some suggestions as to how your service to them could be improved." He looked from one to the other and smiled. "We are now going to implement some of those suggestions, and we are going to do this rapidly because of the time we have lost by your disobedience. The first thing we are going to do is to give you _both_ a new look."

"No!" gasped Cara.

"Did I ask for any comments?"

"No, Mr Wolenczak."

"Good, but you will receive a punishment for that. You must learn complete compliance."

"Lucas, go upstairs; Curtis is waiting for you."

Lucas looked at him, then looked at Cara.

"_Now_, and I will not repeat myself."

Lucas got up slowly. He didn't want to leave Cara because he knew his father was going to punish her, and he couldn't bear the thought of that. He walked towards the door. Before he put his hand on the door handle, he stopped and turned around.

"Please, don't."

He didn't have a chance to say anymore. The door swung open, and Curtis walked in.

"I wondered what was taking you so long, Lou. Any problems?"

"Plenty. Take Lucas; if he so much as murmurs, remind him about _obedience_."

Wolenczak turned back to Cara.

"Where were we? Oh yes, you need a reminder of what obedience means as well. Come here, Mrs Bridger."

Nathan was looking at the footage of Cara and Lucas in the back of the car.

"Wolenczak's instructions were to take Kit_ or _Kit and Freya, so he can't have intended to take Freya _with_ Cara and Lucas."

Jonathan was looking as well. "So, where is she?"

Nathan looked again. She was nowhere to be seen after the car had gone.

"She must have gone with them."

"How?"

"Freya is a very inventive young lady. I think that she got in the boot and went with them to try and help."

"What could _she_ do?"

"I've no idea," sighed Nathan, "But I hope to _God_ she is safe."

"_Now, Freya, go __**now**__."_ Cara told Freya.

"You have got to realise, Mrs Bridger, that _you_ belong to _me_." As Wolenczak was talking to Cara, who was standing in front of him, he was undoing her top and slowly unlacing it. He put the top to one side and then undid the buckle that kept her skirt on and put that on the floor. She was naked.

"You have goosebumps? Are you afraid of me?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak."

"Are you afraid of what I am going to do?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak." She was, however, more afraid of what was happening to Freya and if her daughter would be able to escape from wherever they were being held.

Out of his pocket, he produced a small leather strap.

"Lean over and put your hands on the edge of the table and spread out your legs."

Lucas was now standing in the kitchen.

"Take your costume off; we don't want to get it marked, do we?"

Lucas could not imagine what was going to happen. His mind was racing. Where was Freya? What was his father doing to Cara, and lastly, what was going to happen to him? He was totally surprised when Curtis came towards him with a pair of scissors. He backed away, his eyes darting around him to see if he could run.

"Don't even try it. You know what your pa said I could do if you were a nuisance, and believe me, you don't want me to have to take my belt to you. Did your pa tell you what I did when I was in prison?"

Lucas shook his head.

"Well, I learned me a fancy trade, which the guards said I was real good at. Do you know what that was?"

Lucas wanted to say, being a professional hit man or mindless muscle, but he knew he couldn't, so he just shook his head again.

"I learned me how to be a hairdresser."

Lucas looked at Curtis, and without thinking, involuntarily laughed. Instantaneously, however, he knew that he would regret it.

"So, you think it's funny, do you?"

"No, I'm sorry; it's just that I wasn't expecting you to say that. It was a surprise."

"Well if it wasn't for the fact that your pa wants me to cut your hair now, I'd take my belt off to you and tan your hide good. You understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Curtis."

Curtis seemed to like being called mister and being shown some respect.

"Well, that's better. Come and sit here and don't move a muscle, or I'll snip your ear off."

Lucas went and sat down on the chair Curtis was pointing to. It was by the sink. Curtis set about washing Lucas's hair. He was very gentle, which made Lucas even more surprised. When Lucas had had his hair towel dried, Curtis set about cutting it. Lucas stiffened as he saw his hair falling down around him. It was as though he was in some strange dream. In the middle of all the terror and hurt, he was sitting, having his hair cut by a convict as though everything was perfectly normal. It was as if his past life, that of being part of the Bridger family, was being erased with every lock of his hair that was falling. Lucas couldn't take it in.

Curtis kept on stopping and looking and cutting. After what seemed like ages, Curtis went to get a box. As he brought it over, Lucas could see that it was black hair dye. He was powerless to resist and just closed his eyes. From somewhere in the house, he heard Cara call out. Lucas stood up, but Curtis pushed him back down roughly.

"That little lady has to learn obedience: Just like you have to. Understand? If you do what your pa says, you will not be punished."

Lucas sat down again; he felt so helpless. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

"_Freya, can you hear me? Where are you? Are you alright?"_

There was silence, and then he tried again and again. He was beginning to think that he wouldn't be able to speak to her, or that something had happened when….

"_Lucas, yes, sorry. I was concentrating, trying to get the boot open. It took some time, but I managed it. I'm in the garden in some trees. My whole body is stiff because I was curled up in the boot. I can see the house you are in."_

"_**Don't**__ come near, __**please**__."_

"_No, I won't. I'm going to go down the driveway and see where that leads. Where's Mum? I can't contact her."_

_Lucas couldn't think of what to say, so he told her the truth._

"_She's with my father."_

"_Oh." She paused. "Does that mean…?"_

"_I'm sorry, Freya."_

"_So, I need to find a place where my PAL will work as soon as I can." Freya sounded determined._

"_Yes, but take care. Do not speak to __**anyone**__ you meet around here. Try and keep out of sight and just find a place where there is some reception for the PAL."_

"_I will do, Lucas. I'm going now. Wait, there's a car coming. Let me go back into the trees, I can't see who it is. It's stopping. Tell Mum, I love her. I'll get help."_

"All done. Look." Lucas felt a hand around his arm and being guided across the room. He was concentrating so much in talking to Freya that he had forgotten what was happening to him.

A person with his face was looking back at him from the mirror. But that's where the resemblance stopped. This Lucas had black, spiky hair that was cut so that the spikes surrounded the shape of his face and disappeared into his neck. The hair reminded him of an elf. He couldn't decide if he looked older or younger. He was just shocked at how different it was.

At that moment, Cara appeared in the kitchen with Wolenczak behind her. Lucas could tell that she had been crying. He hated his father so much. He just wanted all this to stop and to ensure his father never hurt Cara again. The doorbell rang, which made Lucas jump. This must be the owner of the car Freya saw.

Wolenczak pushed Cara to Curtis, "You know what to do." Curtis nodded.

Wolenczak turned to Lucas, "You, with me."

Lucas stayed still; he wanted to go to Cara to see if she was alright. He wanted to tell her about Freya. He wanted to escape.

"Now, boy. This is why our visitor is here. She is going to show you what instant obedience is, and the consequences of hesitation and resistance." Wolenczak strode over to Lucas, grabbed his ear, and marched off with him. They went into the hallway, and Wolenczak opened the door with his left hand whilst still holding onto Lucas's ear with his right. Standing in doorway was the scariest woman Lucas had ever seen.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N Thanks again to the overworked and totally underpaid darkin520 for reading this over for me before I publish. Go darkin520...

Chapter 26

"Ah, Lawrence, good to see you. I take it that this is one of the trainees." Her voice was low and quiet.

"Celeste. Come in." He let go of Lucas and turned to him, "Stay."

Towering over his father, she must have been over six feet tall with cruel, steel-grey eyes surrounded by harsh black eye make up, ruby red lips, and hair pulled severely up to a pony tail on the top of her head. Her skin was like parchment, pale and delicate, although she had tattoos down the side of her face that extended down her neck and disappeared into her black top - Lucas thought the tattoos were too harsh for the paleness of her skin. She wore a skin-tight top and trousers in a shiny satin material. She had boots with narrow silver heels. Lucas was almost mesmerised and couldn't stop staring at her.

"I see he has no manners. That is something we shall have to address." She looked at Lucas, "Come."

He looked at his father, who had told him to stay. Wolenczak nodded, and Lucas went over to the woman. She touched the side of his face. He shivered.

"You will call me Madame Celeste, and you will not look at me until I tell you to. When I come into a room, you must stand up and look at the floor. Do you understand?"

Lucas nodded.

"Good. There is a bag on the front seat of my car; bring it to me."

Lucas hesitated. So many questions were circulating around his head. Who was this woman? Was Freya still outside? Would she see him naked? He would die of embarrassment if she did. Would she recognise him? What was going to happen?

"Is he always this disobedient or just too stupid to understand?" Madame Celeste was addressing Wolenczak.

"He is disobedient, and it needs to be beaten out of him."

"Do not worry; that will be _my_ pleasure."

Lucas realised what was being said, "I'm sorry, Madame Celeste, I'll go right away."

She slapped his face. "I did not ask you to speak. But you will learn this lesson quickly, I am sure. Now go."

He went to the door, down the stairs, opened the door of the car, extracted an ominous looking black bag, and returned to the house, hoping that Freya was long-gone and activating her PAL.

He stood in the hallway with the bag, looking at the floor.

"Do you have a room we could use, Lawrence?"

"Of course, this way,"

She turned to Lucas, "Follow on behind."

In the kitchen, Cara had seen locks of her hair falling on to the ground. She really wasn't taking in what had happened. Her thighs were red and nearly blistered as that was where Wolenczak had concentrated the strokes of the strap. Her inner thighs were swollen and covered in ugly welts. It had been so painful; she had cried and shouted out. He had seemed to enjoy her pain, and she now regretted being so weak in front of him. She wondered who was at the door, and most of all, she wondered where Freya was. At least she had not been seen by the person who had been driving the car because there had been no activity. She had just heard voices in the hallway, the door opening and closing again and movement into another room. Cara hardly acknowledged the re-styling and the dying of the hair until Curtis moved her out of the chair and up to the mirror. A woman with black, spiked hair looked back at her. The spikes of the hair surrounded her face and trailed down around her neck. She had never had her hair so short before, and tears fell silently down her cheeks.

"It's not that bad, little lady; I must say I'm pleased at my work. But you are shivering." He went to get a shirt and helped her put it on. It was one of his, and so, it was quite large on her. She was grateful and smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"That's better; you will like your hair. I know it's different, but it's good to have a change."

It was one of those times that Edward Curtis was being kind. She again became confused at this man. He was the one who would have killed Jim Brody, but here he was showing kindness to her. Her head began to ache.

"You sit here, little lady, and I'll see what Lou wants you to do."

She sat on the chair and waited as he left the room.

"_Freya, are you alright? Where are you?"_

"_Mum, are you OK? Lucas said you were with Wolenczak. A scary-looking woman arrived at the house, but she didn't see me since I hid in the trees. I'm walking down the driveway. It seems to go on for miles, and my PAL isn't doing anything yet."_

"_Never mind, you are doing really well. Keep on going. I'm fine," _Cara lied_, "Don't worry. I'll have to stop now. I'll talk again as soon as I can."_

"Come on through, there's somebody who wants to meet you." Curtis led Cara to another door and went in; she followed. Lucas was kneeling on the floor in front of Wolenczak, and a very tall woman who reminded Cara of a modern-day representation of a witch.

"Why is she wearing clothes?" asked the woman.

"She was cold and I didn't want her to get ill."

"Now, Edward, you know _I_ make the decisions. Take it off of her." Curtis complied, and Cara shivered, once again feeling vulnerable and cold. "Cara, come and kneel down here."

She went to kneel down next to Lucas.

"I am Madame Celeste, and Mr. Wolenczak had asked me to begin your training. I have already told Lucas that when I enter a room, you stand up and look at the floor and you do not speak until I given you permission. Is that clear?"

Cara knew not to say anything.

"You may speak."

"Yes, Madame Celeste, I understand." Cara still couldn't decide if she was numb with fear or numb with cold. She hadn't really looked at Lucas, only fleetingly when she came in and had seen that his hair was exactly the same has hers.

"Good. Now, I have a present for you both." She went over to her black bag and brought out two collars. They had rings attached to one side. "I am going to put these collars around your necks, and you will wear them at all times. Is that understood?"

Before Cara could stop him, Lucas nodded and said, "Yes."

Madame Celeste spun round and pulled Lucas up by his hair, leaned him over and slapped him twice really hard on his bottom, leaving the imprint of a hand in plain sight.

She then let him drop and carried on as though nothing had happened. Very carefully, Madame Celeste put the collars onto Lucas and Cara. Both collars were tight, but neither of them said anything. She then went to the bag again and produced four thin chains with tiny clamps at either end.

"I find body jewellery so appealing. I am going to attach these clamps to your collars and then to your nipples. You will wear them for five minutes. You will remain kneeling."

The pain Lucas felt radiating out from his chest, matched the pain he felt in his knees. For both he and Cara, it was a very long five minutes.

"Before you remove the clamps, Celeste, do you mind if I take some pictures? I would like to reassure Nathan Bridger that his sister-in-law and son are still alive and well."

"Be my guest, Lawrence, and perhaps I can help you by having some artistic poses for the camera."

She turned to Cara and Lucas. "Stand up and come over here."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N Thanks, darkin520 for your imput, as ever, it is much appreciated.**

Chapter 27

Nathan felt helpless; he couldn't find where Wolenczak had taken Cara and Lucas. He had no idea where Freya was, and although Michael was responding to treatment, it was much slower than Kristin had anticipated as another pathogen had invaded his body from the poison. This was timed to be released after the first one had begun to respond to treatment. Kristin was working flat out to identify the antidote. The only thing at which he had been successful was making eggs for Kit. At the moment, they were the only two people in the kitchen and eating area. She had been very quiet.

"Uncle Nathan, why is he doing this to Mummy and Lucas?"

Kit's question seemed to echo around the room and bounce back at him. She continued, "I mean, if he's very clever, why isn't he helping people? He shouldn't be using his talents to hurt Mummy and Lucas; he should be making things better for people who need things."

"He did try and help a lot of people by giving them free power from the oceans, but there was a big problem, and it went wrong."

"So why didn't he make it better and try again?"

"I don't know; perhaps it was too big a task."

She looked at him.

"Will we find them?"

"Of course we will! Something will happen, and you will see; we shall have your mom and Lucas back safe here."

"She isn't my mom, Uncle Nathan, she's my mummy."

He smiled, "Sorry, Kit, silly me."

At least some things didn't change; Kit was not going to let him get away with anything.

Kristin was exhausted. She had been analysing blood samples and cross-referencing pathogens and their properties and trying to find examples of these two particular pathogens used together. She was also aware that there was no movement on finding Cara, Lucas, or Freya and that Kit was on her own. She knew Nathan was with her, but she so desperately wanted to tell Kit that everything was going to be alright. But, at the moment, she couldn't.

Freya was still walking. She was really scared. No cars had passed her. Up ahead, she could see that the driveway was coming to an end. So, here she was; she leaned her body forward to look along the road at the end of the driveway. Both ways were deserted, just an endless road lined with trees on both sides. At least that was good for cover. But should she go left or right? She looked at her PAL; it looked back at her, silent and uninformative.

"Now would be a good time to spring into life and send a message to _seaQuest,_" she said to it, hoping it would respond. It didn't.

"Well then," she said to herself, "Left or right?" She paused, looked left and looked right. She took a deep breath, "Eeney, meeney, miney, mo , which way shall I go?" As she said each word from the childhood rhyme, she pointed left, then right; it ended on a left. She shrugged her shoulders and set out left.

She looked at her PAL again. "You just better do something, _fast_."

Lucas and Cara had finally been allowed to remove the clamps and sit on the floor. Lucas held onto Cara. Madame Celeste was leaving, and she and Wolenczak were talking in the hall.

"Are you alright?" He felt Cara's hand in his. He squeezed it.

"I'll survive." He looked so sad, so she continued, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt.

"Put the photos out of your mind now; the ordeal is over. Remember it's all part of this huge nightmare that we are going to find ourselves waking up from when Nathan and Michael come to get us." She moved his head so that he was looking into her eyes.

"Lucas, we had to do what we did. There was no way to resist. You know I love you, and whatever Wolenczak made us do was not real."

He was quiet for a while. "I know, but I feel so guilty."

"Lucas you have no need. Oh there's the door. I need to tell Freya to be extra careful and to watch out for the Madame Celeste's car. What colour was it?"

"Silver."

"_Freya, the scary women is just leaving the house, so she might be driving your way, wherever you are. She's in a silver car."_

"_Thanks Mum. Don't worry, I know what it looks like because I saw it come to the house. I'm just walking along the road that the driveway feeds onto – my PAL is still dead."  
>"Take care, sweetheart."<em>

"_Is Lucas alright?"_

"_Yes, we are just tired."_

Cara was not about to tell Freya that she and Lucas had just finished a photo session that involved very explicit sex scenes. She just filed it in the 'can't think about that because I will break down' area in her brain. She was just holding on, complying with what she was told to do, waiting to be rescued.

"Is she alright?" Lucas asked.

"Yes, she's out of the driveway now and onto the road; it can't be long until her PAL is activated."

She began to shiver; Lucas moved closer to her and put his arm around her. The warmth of his body made her feel a little less cold and a little more comforted.

After Kit had finished eating, she said that she was feeling tired, so Nathan took her to her quarters. He said that he would wait for her in his room while she got changed into her pyjamas, and then, he would take her to see Michael again before she went to bed. Kit got changed and was about to go into Nathan when Freya's laptop made the noise that told you it had a message. Kit slowly approached the machine and waited, not really sure what to do; she stretched out her arm to touch it when it beeped again and made her jump. 'A message from Uncle Lawrence' flashed up. She went a little closer. As she was looking at the screen, it shimmered, and there was an image of the man who came to see her at school.

"Hello, Kit."

"Hello, I'm not talking to you; give me my Mummy and Lucas back."

"I can't do that; they have to help me."

"Help you do what?"

"Oh, lots of things."

"Well, why can't you do something to help people like you used to do, and then they can come home?"

He seemed quite taken aback at her question.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Uncle Nathan said you tried to give a lot of people energy from the sea, which was really good, but it didn't work and you didn't try again. That's wrong, and you should try."

His temper began to rise.

"Don't tell me what to do, little girl."

"_I'm_ telling _you_ to send my Mummy and Lucas back." She was becoming cross.

"They aren't here."

"Oh, yes, they are. I know they are; they are somewhere close. I can feel them."

"_Mummy? Lucas?"_

"_Kit? Where are you?"_a very panicked Cara replied. Lucas sat wide-eyed; he could hear Kit, too.

"_On __**seaQuest**__, where are you?"_

"_I don't know."_

"What are you doing?" shouted Wolenczak.

"Talking to Mummy, so _be quiet!_ You let her go; don't you hurt her; if you hurt her, then I will hurt you!" Kit's voice got louder, and as it did so, Wolenczak could feel pain building up in his head.

At this point, Nathan rushed in as he heard Kit shouting and was just in time to see Lawrence Wolenczak on the screen of the laptop holding his head and shouting, "What are you doing to me?" at Kit, who was staring intensely at the screen. The connection was then lost, and Kit was standing, staring into her own reflection on the laptop screen.

As soon as the screen went blank, Kit collapsed. Nathan was fast enough to catch her and lift her up into his arms. He made straight for Med bay.

As he was doing that, Lawrence Wolenczak was recovering from the agonising pain that had radiated through his head. He was very, very angry and stormed into the room where Lucas and Cara were sitting together on the floor. He went over to Lucas, yanked him up by his hair, and forced his left arm behind his back. Wolenczak glared at Cara, ignoring the gasps of pain from Lucas and the cries of distress from Cara.

"Mrs Bridger, tell me about your younger daughter, or I will break Lucas's arm."

"Kristin!" Nathan shouted as he made it through the door into MedBay.

"Nathan, what happened?" Kristin came flying out from one of the side rooms as she heard the panic in the captain's voice, an emotion she had rarely, if ever, heard emanating from him.

"She's collapsed," he replied, looking down at Kit, "I think it's because she used her telekinetic power to hurt Lawrence Wolenczak, and she didn't know how to control it."

"What?" Kristin couldn't really take in what Nathan was telling her. Kit was so young; how could she project her mind? But there was no time to think at the moment; Kristin went in automatic mode. "Nathan, put her down here," she said, pointing to an examination bed. Carefully, she checked all of Kit's vital signs. She could feel Nathan's anguish behind her; his body tense with worry, but she had to ignore it until she knew what had happened to Kit and how her body had reacted.

Nathan went around to the other side of the bed and held onto Kit's hand. It was so small. He always thought of Kit as a force of nature, full of life and knowing her own mind. He sometimes forgot that she was only eight-years old and still a little girl. Kristin let out a sigh of relief.

"She's fine, Nathan. All her vital signs are normal. She's just in a deep sleep. I think she must have worn herself out."

"Thank God, I couldn't bear it if she was injured."

"What did she do to Wolenczak?" Kristin was desperate to know.

"It was extraordinary…" began Nathan, but he didn't get very far because at that moment, Tim O'Neil rushed into the room.

"Sir, I've been looking for you."

"What is it, Mr. O'Neil?"

"There's been another message sent to Freya from Mr. Wolenczak; the safeguard I put onto Freya's account…" He paused as he had just seen Kit. "Kit!" He frantically looked at Kristin, "What happened, is she alright?"

"Yes, Mr. O'Neil, don't worry. She will be fine; she is just sleeping. Carry on with your report."

"Oh, yes, sorry. It was another set of photos."

"Have you checked them?"

Tim went pale, "I just skimmed through them; they are of Mrs Bridger and Lucas. I've re-routed them to your office and put a block on access for anyone else."

"Thank you, Tim, for your prompt action." Tim smiled at both of them, went over to Kit and touched her hand, and then returned back to the bridge.

Nathan looked at Kristin, who had closed her eyes, thinking about Cara and Lucas and what they were going through.

Cara was desperate, "I don't know what you mean. Pease, you are hurting Lucas. I don't understand. _I really don't_. I'm not hiding anything from you. I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Lou, she really does seem to be telling the truth – what has happened?" The voice came from Edward Curtis, who was standing in the doorway, and Cara was so relieved to see him.

Wolenczak turned to Curtis, who had come to find out what was going on because he had heard Lucas's cries and Cara's pleas.

"I sent some photos to Freya Bridger and wanted to see her reaction when she opened the file, so I activated the vid-link on her laptop. I was hoping that Nathan Bridger would be there to witness his sister-in-law's latest film shoot. However, it wasn't Freya I saw, but Katrina."

Cara and Lucas were both horrified at the thought of Kit seeing the photos of them together.

Wolenczak continued, "We got into an argument."

Lucas couldn't believe it. No one he had ever known had ever argued with his father, let alone an eight-year old. Despite the fact that Wolenczak was still holding on to his arm, Lucas allowed himself a small grin, trying to imagine his father arguing with a very stroppy Kit.

"I was asking Mrs Bridger what she knows of her daughter's powers, but she seems to be unwilling to share this information with me."

"Please, I'm not,… I just don't…"

"Silence!" commanded Wolenczak, and just to remind her, he pulled Lucas's arm further behind his back, and Lucas gasped.

In frustration, Cara continued, "What do you want me to say? My daughter is a telepath? Yes, yes she is. Do I know the extent of her ability? No, I swear I don't. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you. I cannot do what she did, and I don't know how she did it."

Cara had stood up and was facing Wolenczak, looking directly into his eyes. He finally believed her and dropped Lucas.

"I shall have to think about this," he said as he walked out of the room. Cara bent down to see how Lucas was. She shivered.

Curtis was holding something in his hands. "Use these, little lady." As he followed Wolenczak out of the room, he left two shirts on the chair. Cara went to pick them up.

"Thank you."

He smiled back at her. "You can both pay me back, later."

Cara was just so relieved not to be naked, she didn't even think about what would be demanded of her when Curtis wanted payback. She helped Lucas put the shirt on as well. His arm was very sore from being bent behind him, so she gently manoeuvred the shirt onto him, and they sat back down.

"What happened?" asked Lucas.

"I have no idea," came the reply, "I have been trying to contact Kit, but I can't feel anything."

"Do you think she used her telepathic powers to hurt my father?"

"Yes, but I don't know how, I really don't. It's the first time I've actually experienced her using them."

They were both silent for a while. Then, Lucas sat up.

"Unless she used the Internex to boost her telepathic ability!"

"Can you do that?" asked Cara.

"I have no idea," came the reply, "But wouldn't it be brilliant if you could!"

There was a pause, and then Cara turned towards Lucas.

"When we get out of here, and our lives return to normal, whatever that is…" Cara looked at Lucas and bit her bottom lip, "I want to ask you a favour."

"What is it?"

"That you don't pursue the fact that Kit is obviously a very powerful telepath."

"Of course I won't… if you would prefer me not to."

"Yes, for the time being." She looked at Lucas. "You are going to say, but, aren't you?"

"No, but, yes, but, well, yes I am."

"Lucas, Kit is only eight-years old. I just don't want people other than us knowing about her power, I don't want her to be taken from our home and tested. When she is older, then she can choose for herself, but when we are back together as a family, I just want her to be my little girl and enjoy her childhood."

Lucas wondered if he had powers like that, what would his mother have done? He knew, she would have insisted on him being tested and tried to get the most out of it for herself. That's why he loved Cara, and that's why he would have loved her to be his mother.

Lawrence Wolenczak was sitting in the room in which he used his laptop. He kept it locked at all times and had set up a series of surveillance cameras so that there would not be any possibility of Cara or Lucas sending a message on the Internex.

The Bridger family just kept on bringing him challenges. Mrs Bridger's ability to open locks with her mind had proved invaluable; but now this. How powerful was Katrina Bridger? He had to find out. And what of Freya? Did she possess telepathic powers too? There were many questions that needed to be answers. He paused. And despite everything he despised about his useless son, he felt Lucas may be his key to find those answers.

He also needed Mrs Bridger to use her ability very soon, as the money from her first encounter with a safe was nearly finished. Curtis had found their next location and was organising the event. There was also the matter of Mrs Bridger and Lucas using their other talents to secure an income for him. That, too, was in hand and at the moment they had seven very willing clients ready to pay a substantial amount to use Cara and Lucas's services. He also assumed that the shots from the latest photo session he was going to release on the internex would bring a few more paying clients to add to the waiting list.

All in all, he was very pleased how life was progressing, but he needed to think about how he was going to harness and control the telepathic power of Katrina.

Kristin was waiting for Dagwood. She knew he would come into Med bay for Kit. It only took about five minutes from Tim leaving to Dagwood coming in and asking if he could be with Kit. Kristin loved how Dagwood showed such devotion to the little girl.

"How did Mr. Wolenczak hurt her?" asked a very concerned Dagwood.

"No, Dagwood you misunderstand. Lawrence Wolenczak didn't hurt Kit, Kit hurt Lawrence Wolenczak. The effort made her tired, and so, now she is sleeping. She is perfectly alright."

Dagwood looked at her, and then looked at Kit, and then he smiled.

"Clever Kit," he grinned.

He did not ask any questions, but just sat by Kit's bed and held her hand.

"I'm just going to join the captain for a few moments, Dagwood. Will you be alright with Kit?"

"Yes," he said simply, and she knew they would be fine together. Before she left to see Nathan, she just went to check on Michael, who also seemed to be resting comfortably.

When she arrived at Nathan's door, she knocked and went in. He was sitting at his desk, looking at a blank screen.

He looked at her. She could tell he was tense, so she went around to the back of his chair and put both hands on the back of his neck and began massaging slowly. He closed he eyes and put his hands on hers.

"I don't want to see the latest photos, but I know I should."

"That's why I thought I would join you."

"Thank you. I didn't want to be on my own, but felt I couldn't ask any of the crew to come and join me. I appreciate your company."

"Nathan, I'm just pleased I can help. I seem to have been so helpless in this whole business with Wolenczak."

"But look how you have helped Michael!"

"I know, but well…" she paused and then continued quite quickly, "I just feel that I've let Lucas down, that I didn't protect him enough."

"Tell me about it!" Nathan turned to look at Kristin. "I have thought over and over again how I could have prevented this from happening. My problem is that I have underestimated what Wolenczak is capable of. Lucas kept on saying he was the only one that really knew his father. I did think that he was over-dramatising – but he was correct. Lawrence Wolenczak has a brilliant mind."

"Are you ready?"

Nathan nodded and pressed the play button. They both watched in silence as the photos of Cara and Lucas came onto the screen. Kristin could feel the tears rolling down her face. In the end, all she could do was to focus on Lucas and Cara's faces, especially their eyes. In several shots both Lucas and Cara were both looking directly at the camera. She saw their look of hopelessness. It broke Kristin's heart.

After the slide show had ended, Kristin shivered. Nathan got up and put his arms around her.

"Nathan, we have to find them. We have to get them away from that monster."

"I know, Kristin." He left out the part that he had no idea how to find them and that all their hopes were now resting on one fourteen-year old girl who may or may not be with them, and now also possibly, with her eight-year old sister.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N Thank you darkin520 for giving this the once over again...clever you

Chapter 28

The fourteen-year old girl was still walking along the road. She had strained to hear if the silver car was coming, but it hadn't, and she decided that it must have gone in the other direction.

Freya was so pleased that it was not cold. She had taken a light coat from the car boot and a torch as well. She hoped that they would not be missed, and she was very relieved at her decision; working out that it would be very handy to have when it started getting dark, as there were no lights on the road. Regretting her choice of footwear, she plodded on. The flip flops were not really the ideal shoe to be walking over dusty roads covered with branches, twigs and foliage that had become separated from the trees which lined the road. Occasionally, Freya had to stop to remove the twigs from in between her toes. It was irritating, but she knew that it was nothing compared to what her mother and Lucas were going through. Although her mum had put a brave face on, Freya sensed that she was hiding something. She also began thinking about Lucas. She really liked being with him at her party. When he came over and danced with her, she felt so special, especially when the slow music came on and he put his arms around her. Freya shook her head; what was she thinking? – allowing herself to fantasise about Lucas when he and her mum were in the clutches of that man. Walking with a more determined step, she wanted to get as far away from the house as possible. She just had to find the magic spot where her PAL would start transmitting a signal. However, it remained stubbornly quiet, and she began to hate it; she squeezed it and stuck her tongue out at it, but it refused to cooperate.

Nathan and Kristin were walking back to Med bay, arm in arm. They both needed physical closeness to feel some comfort during this tense time. Nathan had resumed telling Kristin about what he had observed when Kit was talking to Lawrence Wolenczak.

"How did she do it?" asked Kristin incredulously.

"I've been thinking about that and the only answer I can think of is that she must have used the internex to boost her ability. She probably didn't know what she was doing – she just wanted to see Cara and Lucas."

"She has an incredible power; does Michael know?"

Nathan shook his head, "He never mentioned it to me, and you would think that he might have mentioned it in passing if he knew. A simple _'Hi Nathan did you know my eight-year old daughter has immeasurable telepathic and telekinetic powers?... Now, can you pass the mayonnaise,'_ would have been sufficient.

Nathan's joke made Kristin laugh. Another thing she loved about him was his sense of humour. She felt it had been ages since they had experienced any sort of fun…and then was shocked to think that only two days ago they had been on Bridger Island celebrating Freya's birthday. It had been so intense that she realised she hadn't slept or eaten in that time. She wondered how many other people involved in this incident had managed any rest.

Sleep was far from Lawrence Wolenczak's mind. He had to find out more. He had to know the potential of the Bridger females. He needed some sort of benchmark to know what to expect. Was Cara Bridger the weakest of the three when it came to telepathic powers? He knew some of her abilities – what were the rest, and how could he find out? He sat in the darkness of his study and pondered.

"If my father was sending the message to Freya on the Internex, he must still think she is on _seaQuest_ and so she is safe," Lucas told Cara.

"That's the first good news I've heard for a while. I hope she stays safe, and far away from here."

"I'm sure she will. I still can't believe Kit arguing with my father, I just wished I had seen it. I wonder what he said to her and what she said back. I've never known _anyone_ answer him back, let alone argue with him."

"Kit's one in a million," added Cara. She then asked something that had been bothering her. She didn't really want to talk to Lucas about it, but she had no one else. "Do you think she saw any of the pictures Wolenczak took?"

"Definitely no. If they were arguing, she wouldn't have had time."

"Thank God." She stopped there. She didn't want to share with Lucas that she wouldn't be able to cope with Kit seeing them together. Even she couldn't pretend that she and Lucas were just sleeping together as friends in the latest pictures. There would be too many questions and too many images that would stay with Kit as she got older. She was just thinking about breathing normally and trying to relax her muscles that had tensed during her panic over Kit and the laptop when the door burst open, and Wolenczak marched in with Curtis close behind.

"Take her," he ordered.

By the time Nathan and Kristin walked into Med bay, Ben and Katie were with Dagwood next to Kit's bed.

"She's just amazing, isn't she?" announced Ben.

"Yes, yes, she is," agreed Nathan.

"We came to tell you that we had a message from Malcolm Lansdowne; Darwin is recovering really well. Although he is still in shock, he has started to eat. Malcolm is going to try the second vocoder that Lucas left with him to find out what happened. He's going to take it slowly and will keep us updated. He also said Piccolo was eating him out of house and home!"

"Good old Tony," said Nathan with a nod. He also secretly liked the fact that Malcolm was experiencing the 'Piccolo effect'. He was eternally grateful to Malcolm for helping Darwin, but when it came to Kristin, Nathan didn't want to share his good luck. For a time, Kristin and Malcolm had worked together, and Nathan felt they became a little too close. Of course, Nathan being Nathan, he hadn't exactly shared his feelings for Kristin _with_ Kristin until he felt he may lose her. But everything had been resolved and when all this was over and the Bridger family was back together, he and Kristin really would get married – even if it was in purple and blue with plastic dolphins.

As Kit still looked fast asleep, Nathan went over to Michael who was also sleeping.

"You have an amazing little girl, Michael." He whispered, and then added, "Come to think of it, your big girl is amazing too."

Freya realised that she was hungry. She didn't know how long she had been walking or how long she had been in the boot of the car. The gas, or whatever had been used to knock her mum and Lucas out, had filtered into the boot and knocked her out too. One of the effects had been that it made her lose her appetite, or it could be the fact that she was terrified, or more likely, a combination of the two.

"I wonder if the owner of this jacket keeps snacks in it," she talked out loud to herself since one was around. Stopping, she looked around and walked towards the wooded area; she found a tree stump, sat down, carefully put the PAL down, and started searching the pockets.

Lucas didn't know what was happening. All he knew was the familiar look in his father's eyes when he had come in for Cara. It was maniacal determination to find the answer to something. Lucas had seen it before, many times. The results for Lucas were one of two things; he was ignored or beaten. This time, it was that he was being ignored. He was sitting on his own in a locked room, straining to hear what was happening outside. He prayed that it would not be Cara who would be experiencing the other option. It was.


	29. Chapter 29

Thanks darkin520 for your valuable time once again:)

Chapter 29

Kristin finally allowed herself to fall asleep on one of the spare beds in Med bay. She had given strict orders to the duty staff that if Kit or Michael stirred, she should be woken immediately. Nathan watched her fall asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, realising how exhausted she must have been. He too felt the energy seep from his body and knew that he should put his head down for a moment, to try and power-nap so that he would be in a fit state to make decisions.

He went slowly to his quarters. As he walked towards his bed, he noticed that the door to his brother's quarters was open. He strolled over to close the door and then looked around. It was the living area, and looking at it, anyone would think that it was the perfect reflection of a family's life. A pair of child's flippers up against one wall – they were Kit's that she used when she swam with Darwin, the hard back book, "The Two Towers" lay on the table; he had bought Freya the set for Christmas, and she said she had brought it over to re-read. There was also an assortment of women's magazines that he knew Cara and Freya read and often laughed about with Kristin. Various tops and jackets were across the sofa and on the coat hooks. A discarded packet of biscuits looked lonely on the small coffee table. There were a few music magazines from Michael and some printed E-mails. Assorted pictures placed around the room told of times the family was together, one of Lucas and the girls and one of Nathan's favourites-his nieces and himself laughing on the beach at Bridger Island. It was the visit when Kit had helped him after Carol's death. They had all been swimming and were just coming out of the water, Nathan was holding onto Kit's hand and Freya was running in front. They made him so happy, and in that brief moment of time, it was reflected in all their expressions. He looked at one of the chairs; Kit's sketch book was open, and she had drawn pictures of all the crew and, of course, Darwin. Somehow, seeing the caricatures that Kit had drawn of how she saw her friends on _seaQuest;_ all with smiling faces and Kristin with a tiara on in the Med bay, brought an unexpected tear to his eye. Kit was just a little girl who wanted to be with her family and friends. Nathan vowed he would make that happen.

The first thing that Cara realised was that she was in darkness; she was blindfolded. After Curtis had lifted her up, something had been put to her mouth and nose, and when she breathed in, she had passed out. She also had her hands secured together, and they were above her head. Everything was silent, but she knew Wolenczak was in the room. More silence. She didn't know how long the stillness went on for, but she knew that he was going to hit her, and at that instant, she moved away. No blow came.

"Well, Mrs Bridger, you have answered that question. Tell me, did you know that I was in the room?"

She didn't know if there was any point in lying. If she did, he may hurt Lucas.

"Yes, I did."

"You knew I was coming towards you with a strap?"

"I knew you were going to hit me, but I didn't know what with."

"Interesting."

He left her and went out, giving instructions to Curtis and then returning.

All was silent for a while.

Suddenly the pain coming from Lucas made her catch her breath.

"Good," remarked Wolenczak.

"Stop it; leave him alone; please, Mr. Wolenczak," she begged.

"What can you see?"

"Nothing, but I can feel his pain."

"Are you sure? Concentrate! Where is he?"

Cara closed her eyes. She tried to visualise Lucas. Every time he felt the pain, she called out, but she couldn't see, only feel. The pain stopped.

"What did you see? Tell me." He came towards her and pulled off her blindfold. She blinked.

"I couldn't see anything, only feel."

He grabbed her hair and pulled her face towards him. "Be very clear about what you say to me," he said slowly and very menacingly.

"I could not see him, but he was beaten twelve times, I felt each stroke."

Wolenczak let her go and pulled back. He had a smile on his face.

"Good."

She couldn't help herself, "For whom? Certainly not for Lucas!"

"I shall ignore your outburst, for now." And with that he turned and left.

Lucas was on the floor where the last blow from Curtis's belt had sent him. The sudden unprovoked beating had left him shocked. He saw his father walk into the room and talk to Curtis, not even acknowledging Lucas's presence.

After Wolenczak left, Curtis went towards Lucas and pulled him up.

"Time to take a walk in the woods, my boy; your pa thinks you could do with some fresh air."

Curtis pulled Lucas up and led him outdoors.

"Don't you think of running because, remember, that little lady is still with him."

Lucas had no intention of running when Cara was still with his father and couldn't believe that Curtis thought that he may. What sort of person would leave someone they loved if that someone was in danger? Perhaps, Lucas thought to himself, Edward Curtis may just do that. Perhaps Edward Curtis didn't have an allegiance to anyone. Perhaps they could use that fact to help Cara and himself escape. It was a possibility. Lucas allowed himself to be pulled towards the wood. He had bad feeling about it, but couldn't do anything to prevent it as he was no match for Curtis.

Wolenczak returned to the room where Cara was still tied up. He pulled up a chair and watched her. Time passed.

"Stop it!" she begged when she felt Lucas's pain.

"Excellent! Is the intensity the same? Can you feel what you felt before?"

"You bastard!" she retorted, "Let him go!" Then, she added, "Yes, I feel the same intensity!"

Wolenczak ignored her and kept firing questions at her,

"Can you tell where he is?"

"No!"

"Can you tell what he is being beaten with?"

"No!"

"Can you talk to him?"

She took a chance; it was so important Wolenczak didn't know. It may be their only hope, so he couldn't find out that they could communicate.

"No!"

"How many strokes?"

"Fifteen."

"Good."

"Please Mr. Wolenczak, he has had enough. _Please_, no more."

"We'll see, Mrs Bridger, we'll see." He was turning to walk out, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, by the way, you can let yourself down...but don't go too far."

When he was obviously gone, Cara managed to undo the ropes and let herself down. Her arms were aching from being above her head. She walked towards the door and into the hallway.

There was no sign of Wolenczak. She went to the front door; there was no sign of anyone. She was still rubbing her arms when she heard a door open at the back. She went to see who was there; it was Curtis almost carrying Lucas who looked in a very bad way.

"Go open the basement door, little lady."

Cara really didn't think she would be pleased to hear that they were going to be in the basement again, but if it was like the two previous basements, at least they would be left alone and have some basic comfort.

This basement had a sofa and a bed; they were old and dusty, but to Cara, the room seemed palatial. Curtis dropped Lucas onto the bed and looked at Cara. "Be seeing you in a while; you have some payback for me, remember?"

"Yes, I know," she sighed.

Curtis went upstairs, leaving them alone.

"Oh, Lucas, I am so sorry." And she went to comfort him. Lucas was trying to get up.

"I'm alright," he said, trying to smile, but he was gasping as he was moved. The consequence of the twenty-seven strokes that Edward Curtis had laid across Lucas's back was causing Lucas great pain, but he knew it would get better, and he didn't want Cara to feel any more guilt than she already did. "Just get me some water and come and be with me."

Cara did just that. The two of them lay together, holding hands, trying to work out what would happen next.

Freya couldn't believe her luck. Whoever owned the coat was a secret snacker. Her forage into all the pockets had revealed an assortment of cakes, biscuits, and sweets and a carton of orange juice. She sat and munched her way through some of the hidden treasures and sipped some of the juice. She felt in really good spirits. It was getting dark, but she had a torch. It was getting a little colder, so she could put the jacket on. She stood up, put the jacket on, and took a step forward. A twig had caught in her toe, and when she put her foot down, she overbalanced, took a step backwards, and felt a crunch beneath her foot, a crunch that sent slight panic through her. She didn't move; she didn't want to acknowledge what she could have done. However, she had no option. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the torch, clicked it on, and shone the beam at her foot. There next to her foot was her PAL, neatly broken in two.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N Thanks to darkin520 for being my beta...and for doing this chapter in ultra quick time - much appreciated :)**

Chapter 30

"Mummy?" Kit's sleepy voice was a joy to Kristin's ears.

"Kit, it's Aunty Kristin, you had a very long sleep; are you alright, sweetheart?"

Kit sat up and looked around. The first person she saw was Dagwood, who was smiling at her. Next, she saw Kristin standing behind him.

"I saw Mummy and Lucas; they had black hair."

"Did you see where they were?" asked Kristin.

"I don't think so. I only saw their faces." She paused. "But I know they were upset. That bad man was hurting them, and so, I hurt him back."

"Well done, Kit." It was Dagwood. He patted her arm. Kristin was pleased Dagwood had responded. She wasn't really sure what she should say. As a role model, she should talk about letting the authorities deal with Wolenczak, but as someone who loved Lucas and Cara, she hoped Kit had hurt that lunatic really badly. She didn't want to press Kit into speaking about what happened until she was ready to speak. However, Kristin knew what Kit really wanted.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving! Dag, do you want to eat as well?"

"Always."

"Well if you get me down, we can go and see what's there." She meant in the canteen. Dagwood carefully lifted her down.

"Is it alright, Dr. Westphalen?" he asked, turning to Kristin, who knew there was no one with whom Kit could be safer.

"Of course, and could you bring back a salad sandwich for me?"

"Will do, Aunty Kris." From aunty to abbreviation, Kit never failed to make her smile. Kristin picked up the communicator and told Nathan that Kit was awake and heading for something to eat with Dagwood. He said he would join them.

"Just let her talk, Nathan, I know that you are keen to learn anything you can, but when she is relaxed, she will say more. Casual questioning will reap more answers than direct questions; she will pick up on your worry and begin to worry herself and may switch off."

"Message understood, mon capitaine!"

"Nathan, did I hear you clicking your heels together?

"No," he said defensively, although he had done just that.

"Do you think I'm being bossy?"

"No, of course not; you are just as concerned as I am to find what Kit knows without upsetting her."

"Yes, I am, thank you. Let me know what happens."

"Will do." And with that, he put the communicator down and headed off to find Kit and Dagwood.

Freya's emotions ran through her; anger with herself, panic, fear, dread, disbelief, hope that she could fix it, and finally, desperation. The PAL just lay in two, feeling sorry for itself. She looked at it for a long while, willing it to put itself back together. It didn't. Thoughts were whizzing around her head, but one was really beginning to dawn on her. What was she going to tell her mum and Lucas? She was their hope, their only chance to free them from whatever that man was putting them through. How could she tell them she had broken the PAL? She had put her own comfort before their well-being, and this was the result. It was her fault. Freya looked up and down the road. There were no lights to be seen anywhere. She had no idea where she was and how far to the nearest habitation- would it be friendly? Would they know Wolenczak? She made the decision. She knew what she had to do. She had to go back to the house.

"What did my father want?" asked Lucas.

"He wanted to know what I am capable of."

Lucas knew why.

"It's because of Kit, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think he wants to try and work out the extent of her telepathic and telekinetic powers."

No-one spoke for a while.

"When he is caught, he will never be able to hurt her." Cara's statement was more a statement of hope than fact because she too was now realising what a genius Wolenczak was and the extent of his intellectual ability. She now turned her mind to her other main worry-Freya.

"I've not heard from Freya in a while. I'll try and see what she is up to."

"OK, tell her," he paused not really wanting to tell Freya's mum what he really wanted to say, "to take care."

Cara smiled.

'_Freya, are you alright, sweetheart?'_

'_Yes, just stopped for a break.'_ Freya tried to sound positive even though, as soon as she heard her mum, she just wanted to break down and cry, confessing all.

'_Is the PAL still remaining stubbornly silent?'_

'_Absolutely.' '__**And that is the truth,'**__ Freya said to herself_

'_Well, just see what happens.'_

'_How are you two?'_

'_Surviving and we are now together, so that is good.'_

'_Tell Lucas to take care and...'_ '_**How ridiculous of me,'**_ Freya said to herself, '_**but if I don't say something I know I will regret it.' **_Deep down, Freya was worried that it wouldn't be alright for some time to come. _'Tell Lucas that when this is all over, I want to dance with him again – Mum does that sound lame?'_

'_No, and I will tell him, or do __**you**__ want to tell him?'_

'_No, Mum, my courage will fail...' _and then she whispered, _'will you tell him?'_

'_Yes, of course. You take care and keep on trucking. Love you.'_

'_Love you too, Mummy.' _Freya's little girl response made Cara's heart break a little more, Freya was so young to be out in the middle of nowhere on her own with such a task on her shoulders. She knew the eldest child was always given more responsibility, but Freya's mission was certainly above and beyond what any other fourteen-year olds would be asked.

In time, that conversation would make all three parties involved think deeply about its content.

"Is she alright?" asked Lucas.

"Yes, she's just stopped for a breather." Cara paused, looking at Lucas. "She asked me to tell you something."

Lucas's eyes opened very wide.

"When this is over, she wants to dance with you again."

In that basement, in the middle of such hurt and upset, Cara couldn't help but smile at the colour Lucas was turning and the very broad grin that was appearing on his face.

He looked away for a while, then he turned to Cara.

"I'd like that very much too," The grin returned to his face, so that it resembled Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.

"Why don't you tell her?" With that said, Cara walked away and began to look for some blankets for the bed.

"_Freya?"_

"_Lucas?"_

"_Freya, your mum told me about the dance."_

"_Oh."_

"_Freya, I'd like that too."_

"_Oh! Well ... brilliant, right, OK. That's good, isn't it?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_OK...well... see you then, soon I hope... I'll go and get sorted. Wow, bye.'_

'_Bye.'_

The conversation left the two of them smiling to no one in particular. Lucas imprisoned in a basement and Freya standing in woodland by the side of a road, miles away from anywhere.

"Can I have chips?" asked Kit.

"You mean fries?" corrected Nathan.

Kit gave him the look.

"OK, you want chips and ketchup?"

"Yes, please."

Kit went to sit down at a table where Katie was sitting.

"Are you and Ben going to get married again?"

"Maybe."

"That's really good; I would like you to get married because you are so nice together."

"Thank you, and who do you think you would like to marry?"

"Well, someone very rich."

Katie laughed out loud.

"Kit! You need to love someone to get married."

"Oh, isn't Ben rich then?"

"No."

"So you must love him then?"

"Yes." Then Katie lowered her voice and whispered in Kit's ear, "But don't tell him."

"Your secret is safe with me," whispered Kit conspiratorially.

"What secret?" asked Nathan as he came over with Dagwood; they were both carrying plates of food, and Katie moved some more chairs over so everyone could sit down.

"Can't tell you," replied Kit, "But it's about getting married."

"Oh," mused Nathan.

They all started to eat and then, out of the blue, Kit announced, "I think that Lucas and Freya will get married eventually."

"How do you know?" asked Dagwood, who was very intrigued and leaned forward to find the answer.

"Well," started Kit, speaking as though she was an experienced romance guru, "I've noticed how they have started to look at one another; they don't think I see because I'm younger, but I do."

Dagwood was now fascinated, "And how do they look at one another?"

"You know."

"No."

"You know...smootchy."

Dagwood looked at her as though she was speaking in a foreign language, so she continued very slowly,"Smootchy, lovey, kissy stuff." Then, she stopped and looked at no one in particular. "But I don't know how Freya will feel with Lucas having black hair."

"Why has Lucas got black hair?" asked Dagwood. Nathan was all ears. This could be the way to find out some information, so he let Detective Dagwood carry on with the questions; he just hoped that Dagwood asked the right ones.

"I don't know; when I saw them with that bad man, they were sitting in a room both together. I only saw their faces, really. It must have been hot, because I think they didn't seem to have many clothes on. It was an old room with a high ceiling like you see in pictures of the old days, and there were lots of rooms. The bad man was in a different room from mummy and Lucas. He had a laptop; there was another man, and he was in the kitchen. He was washing something, and he was looking outside, and there were lots of trees and a big black car, the one that took mummy and Lucas away."

"What sort of trees were they?" asked Nathan.

"Christmas trees."

"Could you see any other houses?"

"No, just the one that mummy and Lucas were in. It was on its own in the middle of lots of trees."

"Can you remember anything else you saw?"

"There was a big room downstairs, and there was a dirty bed and a sofa. There were other rooms but they were really strange rooms because they had chains in them and shiny beds. I wouldn't like to be in those rooms. They must be for odd people."

"Do you remember anything in the room that the bad man was in?" asked Dagwood

Kit closed her eyes whilst chewing on a chip.,

"There was a television and some books and some maps and lots of papers and some chairs and a fireplace and a table that the laptop was on and some clothes." Kit stopped dead, opened her eyes, and stammered, "They were mummy's clothes that she was wearing when the car took her. Why does the bad man have my mummy's clothes?"

"You said the house was hot," soothed Dagwood.

"Oh, yes, but I don't like him having my mummy's clothes. Daddy will be _very_ angry when he finds out." She stopped as though being reminded of something, and she looked at Nathan,

"Uncle Nathan, can I go and see Daddy?"

"Of course you can, I am sure Dagwood will go with you,"

"Can I have a salad sandwich for Aunty Kris because she asked for one."

"Of course; how clever of you to remember."

Kit was very pleased at the comment, and after collecting the sandwich, she took Dagwood's hand and headed out of the canteen towards Med bay.

Nathan turned to Katie, and for the first time in a long while, he felt positive. "Well at last, we have something we can work on to try and locate where Wolenczak is holding Cara and Lucas."

"How was Kit able to..." started Katie.

"I have no idea, but one thing is for certain, she is a very gifted young lady. Come on, let's work on this together to make sure I have not left out any details." With that, Nathan and Katie left together, heading for Nathan's quarters.

Freya calmed herself down after speaking with Lucas by realising that a light rain had begun to fall. Snapping back into sensible mode, she put the torch on the log on which she had been sitting and angled it down so that the PAL was illuminated. Very, very carefully she opened a plastic bag that had contained one of the cakes and picked up the two pieces of the PAL and put them inside so that they would not get wet. She then scoured the area, making sure there were no parts, even minute ones, left behind. When she was totally satisfied that the PAL had just broken in two and was safely in a plastic bag, she put it into the left breast pocket, zipped it up and headed back the way she had come.

Back to her mum, back to Lucas, and back to Lawrence Wolenczak.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N Thanks, darkin520 - my challenge before the end of this story is to incorporate the word 'plonker' in my story and as ever, thank you for your time.**

Chapter 31

"I remembered your sandwich, Aunty K!" beamed Kit.

"Thank you so much – but are you trying to have a joke with my name? – I'll be the invisible aunty soon!" joked Kristin, who wore a smile – so pleased that there was some mischief left on _seaQuest._

"Yes," giggled Kit. Then she too became serious, "How is Daddy?"

"Well, I am pleased to tell you that your daddy is responding well to treatment, which means that he is sleeping at the moment, but he is going to be alright."

Kit hugged Kristin tightly. "I love you; you are wonderful. Thank you for making Daddy better."

Kristin knelt down so she was facing Kit. "Kit, everything is going to be alright. Could you remember any more about the house where your mummy and Lucas were?"

"Yes, when Dagwood and Uncle Nathan were asking, I just closed my eyes, and I could remember what I had seen." She then began to tear up, "Mummy looked so sad, Aunty Kristin, and so did Lucas. I just want them to come home to _seaQuest_." She hugged Kristin even tighter, and then looked at her. "And I can't talk to her now; she is so far away."

Kristin stood up and led Kit to a chair; she sat Kit down and pulled up a chair next to her.

"Kit, you are a very brave girl; I know that it has been very hard for you, but you have a gift that can help to find your mummy, Lucas, and Freya. You have helped all you can, and now , Uncle Nathan will use your information to try and find where the house is."

Kit was nodding as Kristin was talking and then said, "Do you think I made it worse for mummy by hurting the bad man?"

"No," Kristin lied, "not at all," because she knew the type of man Wolenczak was; then truthfully, she continued, "if you hadn't spoken to him, you wouldn't have been able to give Uncle Nathan so many clues."

"That makes me feel better. Can I sit with Daddy for a while? I want to tell him what's been happening and read him some of my book." She turned around to see Dagwood still in the door way. "Come on, Dagwood, I think we got up to the place where the children were meeting the Saucepan Man for the first time."

"Yes," replied Dagwood eagerly, "I want to know what he does with all his pans."

"Are you reading the Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton?" asked Kristin.

They both nodded.

"I loved that book too, and I read to Cynthia when she was a little girl. It's a very good story."

"I just need to go and get my book, won't be a minute – Dagwood, you go and talk to Daddy while I'm away."

As Kit skipped out of Med bay, Dagwood went over to the sleeping Michael, "Hello, Daddy, Mr. Bridger, I'm going to talk to you for a little while because Kit is getting her book. She is going to read it to you and me. We are going to meet Saucepan Man...I like Kit reading to me… She is very good, and she has been very clever…" Dagwood continued to talk to Michael, in a quiet, calm voice, and Kristin went to make herself a drink and sat down as she started to eat her squashed salad sandwich. It had been in her hands when Kit came to hug her, and she had been unable to let go of it. Kristin glanced at her watch; it was near to midnight. Kit had woken up from her deep sleep as though it was early morning, when in fact, it was the time most people were in bed. Kristin decided that she would have to deal with her own body clock adjustments when this was all over. Never really able to relax, she started filling in some details on one of the other patients in Med bay while being comforted by Dagwood's earnest monologue to Michael.

The crew were quite used to seeing Kit and Freya around_ seaQuest, _so although it was the nightshift, quite a few stopped to talk to Kit on the way to her cabin. When she arrived, she went straight into her room and found the book. As she passed the laptop, she looked at it sadly. She put her hand on it and said, "Take care, Mummy and Lucas. I miss you both." She then thought of the last time she had seen them both. She turned to leave, and as she did she heard a voice. "Hello Kit."

"Uncle Nathan!" she shouted.

Within the blink of an eye, Nathan was with Kit, and they were both looking at Lawrence Wolenczak.

Nathan immediately put Kit behind him.

"How interesting, Nathan," Wolenczak spoke as if it were a conversation between colleagues or friends, "I was just sitting at my desk, thinking, and my laptop switched on all by itself, and who should I see, but Miss Bridger. Is there any end to your talent, Kit? I would so love to find out."

"I don't like you!" came a cross voice from behind Nathan. "Send Mummy and Lucas back!"

Nathan turned around. "Ssh," he whispered, "it will be better if you let me talk to him, Kit. Go to Katie." Katie was waiting in the doorway, stunned that she could see Wolenczak on the laptop. Kit started to go, and then turned back around. "Uncle Nathan is going to find you, in your big house…"

Nathan didn't want her to say anymore, "Ssh, remember." Kit stopped, pulled her tongue out at Wolenczak and then went to Katie.

"You have an extraordinary niece, Nathan; I would so like to have a chat with her, even though she needs to learn some manners."

Nathan inwardly flinched at Wolenczak's words, but did not show it.

"Return Cara and Lucas to us."

"Oh, I don't think so; Mrs Bridger is turning out to be an excellent asset, and I couldn't _possibly_ return her to you. She is _such_ a treasure. I'm sure you will have seen from the latest photographs that she can turn her mind, and body to almost anything."

"You callous…" Nathan checked himself. He could not get cross; he knew that is what Wolenczak would want to see.

"We will find you and bring them home. Make it easier on yourself…"

"Enough, I have heard all this before. I shall contact you again. Oh, and Nathan, don't think you could find out where I am through this link. Mr. O'Neil will have no luck, although he can waste his time trying."

"You evil bastard. Where's Lucas?" a new voice shouted from behind Nathan.

"Mr. Kreig, are you missing your little playmate? I'll have to ask him if he is missing you. He has been busy recently, helping in a small project of mine. It's satisfying to find out that after all these years, he _is_ good for something. You could say he has been a sort of lab rat..."

"You…" but before Ben could say anymore, Kit held his hand, "Ssh, Ben, Uncle Nathan is speaking to him; Mummy and Lucas are sleeping at the moment. They look peaceful; it's OK."

"Can you see them, Kit?" Wolenczak was intrigued, and the tone of his voice gave that away.

Kit opened her mouth to say something, but looked at Nathan who was shaking his head very slightly, and said nothing.

"Oh, I wish I knew we were going to have this little conversation. I could have organised a little show for you." Wolenczak's voice was half-mocking, half-calculating.

Nathan had had enough.

"We'll be in touch, very soon." And with that, he strode over and turned the laptop off, pulled out the power socket, and took it into his room.

Nathan felt that the exchange had ended in his favour. However, he hoped two things would happen; Tim O'Neil would prove Wolenczak wrong and that Wolenczak would not take his anger out on Cara and Lucas. He also wondered about Kit. She certainly did have untold power. What would happen when everyone was home safely – would they ignore Kit's part in all of it and not explore her capabilities, or would they try and find out more? This was something he would have to discuss with Michael and Cara – however, if he knew his brother as well as he thought he did, he already knew the answer. No, Kit would be left alone.

Nathan sighed; there was something more imminent he had to deal with,

"Mr. Kreig, a word."

Ben followed Nathan into his quarters, leaving Katie and Kit alone.

"Is Uncle Nathan going to shout at Ben?" asked Kit.

"More than likely," replied Katie. "Come on, I'll take you back to Med bay. You can tell Dr. Westphalen what has been happening."

The drizzle had turned into a steady, light rain. Freya was walking by the side of the road, the torch held in front of her, guiding her along the road. She had still not decided what she was going to do about the PAL or what she was going to do when she got to the house. She just hoped that a sudden bolt of inspiration would help her to sort out the mess she had got herself into.

Cara woke with a start. Wolenczak was sitting in a chair looking at her. She put her hand out and felt Lucas next to her. He was just stirring.

"Guess who I have just been speaking to?"

'_OH MY GOD! HE HAS CAUGHT FREYA!' _Her mind screamed.

"No!" Lucas woke with a start.

"Your younger daughter." Wolenczak paused, then continued, "Do you know what she said?" He paused. "She said she hated me, and she pulled her tongue out at me."

Lucas was speechless. Kit was pushing the boundaries, in fact, ignoring them completely where his father was concerned.

Cara had just calmed herself down. She had begun to hyperventilate when she thought Freya had been caught, and so, she wasn't really taking in what Wolenczak was saying – something about talking to Kit.

"How did you speak to her?" she asked.

"She switched my laptop on."

"How?"

"With her mind." He said it in a way that really scared Cara. It was a combination of wonder, envy, and desire. Lucas, too, felt really sick at the thought of his father's attention being on Kit.

Wolenczak stayed quiet for a while, then glanced at his watch. During this short time, the muscles in both Lucas and Cara's stomach began to tighten as they knew something was going to happen next.

"Do you think you daughter is afraid of me?" he asked.

"I have no idea." However, Cara couldn't leave it there, "Why should she be frightened of you? No child should ever be frightened of an adult, and what adult would want a child to be frightened of him or her?" She knew her mistake before she ended her sentence and held onto Lucas's hand.

"Stand up, Lucas." Lucas let go of Cara's hand, moved to the end of the bed, and stood up, facing his father, his eyes on the floor.

"Are you afraid of me, Lucas?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Look at me Lucas. Why are you afraid of me?"

Lucas kept looking down as he didn't think he could respond, staring into the face of his father. He took a deep breath and started.

"I'm afraid of your intelligence, your anger, your irrational behaviour, and your ability to hurt people that I love and I'm afraid when you hurt me." Lucas was surprised at his own admission, but strangely enough, once it was said, he felt better.

Wolenczak did not appear to be moved by this, either physically or emotionally, as he just remained, sitting motionless in the chair. On the other hand, Cara got out of the bed and held on to Lucas, almost forgetting Wolenczak was there.

"Oh, Lucas, we will get through this. I promise, and you will never have to be afraid of him again. She kissed his cheek."

"Interesting," smiled Wolenczak. He then altered his train of thought.

"Mrs Bridger, you can be of service to me tonight. Put these on." He passed her a set of clothes. "And then, I want the two of you to join me upstairs." He turned and left.

Cara stared down at the clothes and shoes Wolenczak left.

"It looks as though I'm re-entering my life of crime," she commented, pulling on the joggers and T-shirt. She went to wash her face and looked at herself in the mirror.

"My hair!" With everything that had happened, she hadn't really thought about it. She dragged her fingers down it, somehow hoping they would pull her hair down and make it longer and not black.

"I look like ... I look like..." she was lost for words.

"Me?" suggested Lucas.

She looked from herself, to Lucas, and back to the mirror.

"We look like Tospy and Tim."

"Who are they? "

"Characters in a book Michael used to read to Freya and Kit. It was the book they always wanted him to read to them as he always used to put extra bits into the story and it made them laugh. It was a night-time ritual, a 'Daddy thing'."

Lucas had never had a 'Daddy thing'; he never really had a 'Mummy thing' either. He couldn't remember his parents ever reading to him. They must have, mustn't they? They must have cared enough about him some time to have spent time with him. He remembered the time at Bridger Island when Cara was putting Kit to bed and had started to read a story. He and Freya had gone in to say goodnight, and had sat on the bed, listening to Cara reading. It had been quiet, and the names in the story, he remembered, were very comforting; there had been a Miss Biscuit and a Ruby Buttons. It was warm and safe, and the next thing he remembered, he was waking up the next morning next to Kit and Freya. He had stayed quiet for a while before they had woken up, just listening to their breathing, being part of a happy family. He snapped out of the happy memories as a cold shiver worked its way down his spine.

"Except Topsy and Tim didn't have my father in their story," commented Lucas.

"No, Michael would have gotten rid of the character… I hope he still does." She wondered what her husband was doing, and how he was. Was the shot for him? How serious was it? She hadn't really had time to think about her husband, the man she had loved for over eighteen years. What sort of person was she? She couldn't cope with that at the moment. She returned to her conversation with Lucas. "Oh well," she shrugged, "it will grow back, and this is the least of my worries at the moment." Just then the doorbell rang. They both jumped.

"Come on, let's go and find out what is happening." She led the way upstairs, and Lucas followed.

"... And then, the bad man talked to Kit, and she hurt him, and I was very proud of her, and I know that you will be too..."

Dagwood was telling Michael everything that had happened.

Katie and Kit came into Med bay.

"Sorry we were a little delayed," announced Katie, "Only Kit had another brief meeting with Mr. Wolenczak."

"What!" Kristin sprang up and rushed to Kit. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Yes, I didn't say much. Uncle Nathan spoke to him, and Ben shouted bastard at him, and Uncle Nathan closed the laptop, and now Ben is getting told off."

Kristin looked at Katie, who mouthed back at her, _'I'll tell you later.'_

Kit continued, "But I felt a little better because I saw Mummy and Lucas, and they were sleeping, and they looked alright. They were holding hands, to make each other happy."

"I'm going to head off to the captain's quarters to continue our search. I'll see you later." Katie turned to leave.

"How is the search coming?" asked Kristin.

"Kit's information has been very useful, as we have been able to eliminate huge areas where they could not be, and we are looking at satellite pictures..." She didn't want to add that it was a long, laborious process, especially in front of Kit, but Kristin understood what Katie was going to say.

"Good luck."

Having had a daughter of her own, Kristin knew what was coming next.

"Aunty Kristin, bastard is a bad word, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and you must never use it."

"Ben did."

"He was very angry, but he shouldn't have said it."

"Is that why Uncle Nathan is telling him off?"

"Yes, it is."

"Poor Ben, I wouldn't like to be told off by Uncle Nathan."

'_He's used to it,'_ thought Kristin to herself.

"I see you are ready, Mrs Bridger." Wolenczak then turned to Curtis, "Edward, please get the car ready." And to his son, he said, "Lucas, you will be pleased that I am not going to leave you alone. If you walk into the living room, you will see that Madame Celeste has come to give you some more training. We thought that you needed extra sessions as you seemed less willing to understand her orders than Mrs Bridger." Lucas's stomach clenched, and he took a step backwards. Cara went to go to him, but was held back.

"Do as you are told. Knock on the door and wait for instructions."

Very, very slowly, Lucas walked to the door and knocked. Cara couldn't see what was happening as she was pushed to the front door and down the steps into the night.

Lucas knocked very softly.

"Come in, Lucas."

He pushed the door open. In the split second before lowering his eyes, he noticed the glint of gold chains in her hands.

"Kneel down in front of me, and keep your eyes on the floor."

Before he remembered what he should do, he said, "Yes, Madame Celeste."

She walked over to him, slapped him hard, and closed the door, locking the two of them in.

"You will have to learn the hard way, Lucas."

Cara was sitting in the back of the car that had brought her and Lucas to the house. Everything was so dark; there were no lights. Curtis manoeuvred the car slowly down the drive and turned left on to the road.

'_Freya, I don't know where you are, but Wolenczak, Curtis, and I are just leaving the driveway in a large, black car, and we have turned left, so be careful.'_

'_Thanks, Mum, that's the direction I went. I'll turn my torch off and see if I can see you; there is no turning on this road, so you must pass me. Where's Lucas?'_

'_He's at the house.'_

'_Is he OK?'_

'_I hope so.'_

'_What do you mean?'_

Cara felt there was no point lying, but no point in telling the whole truth, either.

'_One of Wolenczak's friends has come to be in the house, so Lucas is not alone.'_

Freya didn't pursue it because she didn't really want to know; it would only make her upset, but what it did do was to make her more determined to get back to the house. Freya waited, in the darkness, straining to see a set of headlights in the distance. At that moment, she wasn't afraid as she knew that her mother was in the car, and for a brief moment, as the car passed, she would be close to her. Then she began to think, _'if I know how long it takes for the car to get to me, and I assume that it is doing the speed limit, I can work out how far I am from the house. Now let me see, speed = distance/time, so time = distance/speed, so distance = speed x time ...is that right?_' She was deep in thought and suddenly remembered to look up In the distance, were two tiny pinpricks of light. Freya panicked, thinking they could see her, and immediately moved into the undergrowth by the side of the road and lay down. She could feel the wet bushes on her face and legs, but luckily, the coat kept her body dry. She held her breath, didn't know why, perhaps irrationality, thinking Wolenczak could sense her breathing. Then the car was passing by.

'_Mum! I love you!'_

'_Freya have we passed you? I could almost feel... I love you too.'_

The reality for Cara knowing that her daughter was on this long, dark road on her own was too much. She let out a sob, and tears began to fall down.

"Hey, little lady, don't worry. If he does what he's told, he'll be alright."

'_Oh, God, Lucas-I'd almost forgotten... with that woman.'_ Cara reminded herself. She felt truly helpless. She couldn't be with Freya, and she couldn't be with Lucas.

Both were alone, and both were facing danger.


	32. Chapter 32

**Amidst all that is going on for her, darkin520 still finds time to check this over - so many thanks**

Chapter 32

As the car passed and the brief moment with her mother ended, Freya waited for a while until she couldn't hear any engine noise. She sat up and turned around; there weren't any red tail lights either, so she stood up. Approximating time and speed, she worked out that it was going to be at least nine miles back to the house. A long night's walk. She thought about it, slipped off her flip flops, and put them into the pockets of the jacket. She started to jog, surprised that the road did not feel too hard. She knew that she could get there faster if she got a move on, so she sped up, her bare feet making soft padding sounds against the surface of the long road ahead.

Cara just slid back into the seat. She had no idea where she was going, only knowing she was moving further into a life of crime, and she had just left her fourteen-year old daughter on a lonely road, in the pitch black all on her own; she had also left Lucas in the clutches of a … '_what was Madame Celeste'_ she wondered to herself, 'A _Madam? A dominatrix?' _Well whatever she was, Cara didn't want Lucas with her. How could this all be resolved? When they were rescued, what would happen to Wolenczak? Would she ever feel safe again? Would she always be in fear that he would come for her daughters? She had to snap out of these morose thoughts, or else, she would become so depressed that she would not be able to pull herself out. She wasn't used to having dark thoughts, mainly because she usually had such a happy life. This made her marvel at Lucas even more; he had been through hell, yet he was still a loving, gentle young man. That thought led her to think of what Freya had said about Lucas and how Lucas had reciprocated. Was this a blossoming relationship? Freya was only just fourteen, but was very mature, and Lucas was in so many ways a very young seventeen-year old. How would she feel if they started dating? They complimented each other very well and had a great deal in common. Was it a good thing? Was it a bad thing? And then, of course, there was what had happened to Lucas and herself, what they had been made to do. Although she knew it was not out of choice, still, it was there and had happened. She knew she could compartmentalize – but could Lucas? What would Michael think? Would he find it hard after what had happened to Lucas and herself? There were so many questions – in the end, Cara decided what would be would be, and they would handle it, one step at a time, and besides, she was giving herself a headache. But, she did feel less depressed. Slipping back into 'mum' mode was a very comforting feeling – trying to negotiate several events at once, whilst trying to please everyone – usually it was which daughter to pick up from which sporting event or club or party they were attending, while juggling her own life and sorting out Michael, and not how to react to this current situation. Still, this was a start.

Neither Wolenczak nor Curtis spoke to her, so she just let her mind go empty and watched the pinpricks of light appear as the rain had stopped and the clouds moved away. She stared out into the night, watching the stars trying to recognise any of the constellations.

Lucas was kneeling with his hands behind his back. His knees were aching. The clamps from the chains were digging into his body, and the areas where Madame Celeste had punished him were sore and stinging. He closed his eyes and thought of the time when he was listening to the story that Cara had been reading that night on Bridger Island. He tried to think of the events in the story, and then, when he couldn't remember any more, he thought of how he felt when Freya said that she would like to dance with him again. He remembered how she looked on her birthday and smiled, quickly remembering where he was, he stopped smiling in case Madame Celeste noticed and he got into more trouble. He just thought of Freya and recent conversations they had had, her compassion and her love of marine biology, her sense of humour and her intelligence. He just wanted to be with her and to take her to the movies or to a restaurant where they could be on their own and be just normal. When this was all over, he promised himself he was going to do just that. He felt Madame Celeste's thin cane lifting his chin up. "Look at me, Lucas, I want to show you your next lesson."

Lucas sadly left his thoughts of Freya, looked at Madam Celeste, and braced himself for what was to come next.

The appearance of street lights made Cara sit up and realise that they were entering some sort of habitation. A town? A city? She had no idea. She looked out, hoping to see a name plaque announcing where they were, but could not see one. The car turned off to the left and along some more roads until it stopped. It was very quiet; she had not seen another person.

When the car finally stopped, she stayed where she was. Wolenczak and Curtis remained in the front of the car for a while and then put on black masks. Cara though they looked ridiculous, but didn't pass comment or alter the look on her face. Wolenczak turned around and passed a mask to her. She put it on; it made her face itch, but she didn't say anything.

Wolenczak got out of the car and opened her door. She slid out and waited for instructions. Curtis was doing something to a panel on a wall near to where the car was parked. _'A burglar alarm?'_ she thought. Wolenczak pushed her in front of a door.

"Open it."

She did.

All was dark; he had a small torch and led her to a room. In it was a safe. This time, it was a blue one. She wondered if there was a catalogue you could order safes of any colour.

Wolenczak looked at her. She went to the safe and opened it. She stood back whilst Wolenczak filled a bag with money and other items. She looked round and saw the vid screen. Would she have time to enter Lucas's rescue code into the machine? She carefully made her way to the desk, trying to look at the processor to see where the 'on' switch was.

She reached out towards a likely looking button but was yanked back by her hair. She called out in pain.

"Don't even think about it, Mrs Bridger." Wolenczak's voice was menacingly close to her ear; even through the mask, she could feel his breath. He grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her in front of him. Stumbling forwards, she only just managed to keep her balance. She was pushed outside and into the waiting car.

The door was closed behind her and she pulled off the stupid mask. She was angry at herself for missing the opportunity and angry with Wolenczak for everything.

"Everything OK, Lou?" Curtis asked as Wolenczak got into the front seat and closed the door.

"Fine, until Mrs Bridger decided that she might like to warn _seaQuest_ where we were. Luckily, she did not manage it, but the thought was clearly in her mind. She will have to have a reminder about obedience when we return to the house."

Cara was then ignored. She sat back in the car – suddenly noticing it was a different one than the one they came in. Wondering why that was, she looked more closely at the interior; it was probably because the other car may have been too noticeable, she didn't know. She wasn't really very knowledgeable as far a crime was concerned, although she thought that she had been responsible for stealing a great deal of money that night. She also wondered why there wasn't very much security for a large amount of money, and why Wolenczak needed actual money and couldn't do something on-line; but she had no idea and could not guess - so Cara gave up. She wished she had noticed the vid link sooner and put the code into the machine. Punishment was inevitable when she got back to the house, but it was worth the risk. She wasn't worried about being punished. Wolenczak had practically done everything to her, and she knew she would survive. She just wanted to get back and check that Lucas was alright.

Freya had been running, jogging, and walking for the past hour. She worked out that she should be close to the house by now. Her feet were beginning to ache, and she knew that she had some cuts on them as she had encountered some stones and sharp twigs on the way, but was surprised how she had managed to cover the distance so quickly. Perhaps she was fitter than she thought, or more likely, she had miscalculated.

'_Freya, we are on our way back now. This time, we are in a blue car. It took about three quarters of an hour to get to this place, so that means… well, I'm not sure what it means, but be on the look out.'_

'_OK, Mum, will do.' _

Freya loved listening to her mum as Cara was always honest and never pretended to be an academic with a great knowledge of everything. If she wasn't sure about something, she always admitted it. Finally, Freya slowed down to a walk as she had a stitch in her side. She didn't want to miss the turning into the house, so she plodded on, keeping an eye out for a break in the line of trees.

"Are there any more areas we can rule out?" asked Nathan, looking at dozens of satellite images.

"I think we need to try and get closer to these areas." Katie gave Nathan some of the photos at which to look.

They were narrowing down the area to search, but they knew that they had used all Kit's clues and the area was still impossibly large. It would take weeks, let alone days, or hours to search, and the manpower needed would be huge. They had to think of something else.

Tim walked in to tell them that he was unable to locate the whereabouts of Wolenczak from his laptop address. Nathan only had a vague hope that he would be able to beat the odds, but it was not to be. Tim went over to them and started looking at the satellite photographs too.

Kristin had stopped working and was listening to Kit reading the story of the Enchanted Wood to Michael and Dagwood. Dagwood had been really interested in the story, but kept on stopping Kit to ask questions. Kit had answered all his questions patiently and showed no sign of annoyance over the constant interruptions from her friend. Kristin hadn't interrupted even though some of Kit's answers had made her secretly laugh; she just loved the dynamic between these two very different people who were the best of friends.

"What sort of land would you like to be at the top of the tree, Dagwood?" Kristin finally asked, intrigued to know how Dagwood's imagination had been fired by this children's adventure story; magical lands that could be visited, appeared at the top of a huge enchanted tree. The lands stayed for a little while and then moved on. Dagwood didn't even have to think, "I would like a sea land so that I could go and see Darwin. Everyone I know would be there, and Lucas and Freya and Kit would be swimming with Darwin, and everyone would be happy."

"I'd like that too, wouldn't you, Daddy?"

And then a very quiet, almost whisper replied, "Yes, I would, Kitten."

"DADDY!"

Kristin was up and at Michael's side in a flash. Looking at him, with his eyes open and smiling, she had forgotten how he so reminded her of Nathan.

"Michael, take it easy. Have a sip of water." Kit stepped backwards and allowed Kristin to give Michael a sip from a straw. Kit was beaming.

"Dagwood, would you go and tell Uncle Nathan please?" asked Kit, and she went around to the other end of the bed and watched Kristin check some of Michael's vital signs. Kit was so happy and seeing the huge smile on Kristin's face, she really knew her father was going to be alright.

Dagwood knocked very loudly on Nathan's door and made Nathan, Katie, and Tim all jump as they had been so engrossed in their searches.

"Captain, Sir… Kit asked me to tell you that your brother is awake, Sir." And Dagwood saluted. Nathan saluted back; he didn't mean to, but after so many years of being in the navy, it was an involuntary action if someone saluted him.

"Thank you, Dagwood." He turned to Katie and Tim. "Can I leave you two to carry on?"

"Yes, Sir," replied Katie, "What good news, Sir."

"Thank you, yes, it is." And with that, Nathan followed Dagwood towards Med bay, with a very broad smile on his face.

By the time Nathan arrived, Michael was sitting, propped up by a cloud full of pillows.

"Hey, Mikey, how are you?"

"Well, I feel as though I have been on the wrong end of a cannon ball, but most of me seems to be working." And smiling, he stared at Kit. "I have a trooper by my side. Where are the rest of them?"

Nathan had almost forgotten that Michael didn't know. "Michael," he began. Michael read Nathan's body language and closed his eyes.

"Cara's been taken again, hasn't she?"

"Yes, Michael."

"Where's Freya, surely…" the machines that Michael was attached to began to beep and flash; indicating that his vital signs were fluctuating at an unacceptable level.

Kristin looked at Nathan with worried eyes and went to try and compensate for the erratic readings.

"No, Michael, Freya is not with Wolenczak, we know that, but we don't exactly know where she is."

"How?"

"It's a long story…" replied Nathan.

"Well, brother, I'm not going anywhere."

"Uncle Nathan, I'll help tell the story too. Daddy, _I_ play an important part in it," added Kit proudly.

'_I wonder when children start to become modest.'_ Nathan thought to himself.

Kristin left Nathan and Kit to explain to Michael what had been happening. "Come on, Dagwood, let me buy you some ice cream; I think we need a break from all this excitement."

"O…K…" he agreed and followed Kristin out to the canteen.

Freya finally found the opening to the driveway and began to walk up towards the house. She still could not risk putting on the torch, but when the rain stopped, the stars and a waxing gibbous moon came out. _'Only a few days to the full moon,' s_he thought. The moonlight was bright, and so, she could see where she was going. Deciding that she needed to be out of sight, she made her way toward the line of trees. Her progress was very slow, but she would rather be slow than found out. Also, she was still waiting for inspiration as to what she was going to do when she arrived at the house.

'_We are slowing down to turn into the driveway, Freya; I don't know where you are, but just to let you know, I am back at the house.'_

Freya didn't say anything as she didn't want her mum to know that she was also coming back to the house, not yet anyway. Sure enough, she could hear the noise of an engine behind her. She went further into the trees and waited. The car passed by, and she just caught a glimpse of the driver. It was Curtis. She couldn't see her mum. She waited for a while and then carried on slowly towards the house.

When they arrived at the house, Cara stayed in the car until she was told to get out. She went up the front steps after Wolenczak. Once in the hallway, she couldn't hear anything. A door to the living room opened, and Madam Celeste came out. Cara strained round Wolenczak for Lucas, but could not see him.

"All went well, Lawrence?"

"Yes, although Mrs Bridger needs to be reminded of the importance of obedience."

"I would love to stay and help you out, but I have another appointment."

She came towards Cara, and Cara dropped her eyes to the ground.

"So you need to be reminded of how to behave?"

Cara was silent, waiting.

"You may speak."

"Yes, Madame Celeste, I acted without thinking."

"Well," Celeste walked up to Cara and put her hand under Cara's T-shirt and dug her nails into Cara's back, and Cara winced, "We cannot have that; I shall talk to you about the error of your ways, next time."

She pulled her hand out from under Cara's T-shirt, and there was blood on her nails, which she licked off. Cara could feel a trickle down her back and inwardly shuddered that Lucas had been alone with this mad woman.

"How was my son?" asked Wolenczak.

"He is slow with his lessons and needs to be continually reminded of how to behave, but I am sure will we get there in the end." She looked at Cara. "Cara, pack my bag and take it to the car. I want to talk to Dr. Wolenczak. Do you understand?" She paused. "You may speak."

"Yes, Madame Celeste."

Cara went into the living room. Lucas was in the corner. He was standing with his back to Cara. She could see fresh marks amid all the abuse his back had received, and she could see marks down his knees. They were thin, red lines, some of which had bled.

"Oh Lucas, I'm here." Cara rushed over to him and took him in her arms.

"I have to stay here until she says." By the way he was talking, she knew he was afraid, so she let go and let him return to the corner.

"I've got to pack up her belongings in her bag. I'll do that. She is talking to your father and should be leaving soon. Hang on, it won't be much longer. We will be on our own." And with that, she rubbed his arm encouragingly.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Cara went to the bag and wrapped up all the items that lay next to it. Chains, clamps, leather gags, a very thin whip, what looked like a dog collar and lead… _'What has that woman done to him?' _Cara wondered. The anger that she felt earlier was still growing inside her. She closed the bag and took it down to the car. Madame Celeste's car was parked towards some trees, so Cara opened the door, threw the bag in, hoping she had broken something, and went back into the house. She was just entering the hallway when she saw Curtis coming down the stairs. His eyes lit up. She knew what that meant.

"Payback time, Little Lady."

She sighed, really wanting to go back in to Lucas, but she knew she couldn't say no to Curtis. She went up the stairs, followed by Curtis, who led her into one of the bedrooms and closed the door.

Wolenczak and Madame Celeste had finished a drink and their conversation and were coming out of the kitchen. She went into the living room to find Lucas in the same position she had left him in.

"Good, Lucas, come here."

Lucas turned and came towards her, keeping his eyes to the ground and kneeling in front of her.

"Tell your father what you have learned with me this evening."

Lucas did not say a word.

"You may speak."

"I learned the importance of instant obedience, Father." He kept his eyes glued to the ground.

"And what happens if you are not obedient, Lucas?" asked Wolenczak.

Lucas was silent again.

"You may speak, Lucas," stated Madame Celeste.

"I will be punished, severely."

"Now, where is Cara? I wanted to give her a task to complete before I leave. You may speak."

"Curtis took her upstairs." Celeste slapped Lucas across the face.

"Again."

Silence.

"You may speak."

"Mr. Curtis took her upstairs."

"Better. Now come here. Good, Lucas." Lucas crawled on his hands and knees to Celeste.

"You may lick my hand."

It was at that point that Cara walked in behind Curtis. The amorous interlude had been very short, of which Cara was eternally grateful, as he had heard Wolenczak and Celeste talking. Cara saw Lucas crawl over to Celeste and lick her hand like a dog. She was horrified. What had that woman done to him? She let out a gasp, and Lucas heard and looked over. Tears stung his eyes; he was so ashamed. He went to stand up, but was firmly prevented from doing so. Cara watched in disbelief. She hated the fact that Lucas was being treated like this. She so desperately wanted to do something to help him, but didn't know what.

"Is Cara your mistress?" Madame Celeste asked.

Lucas shook his head. He was slapped.

"Lucas, do not forget all our training tonight. I will ask you once again. Is Cara your mistress? You may answer."

"No, Madame Celeste." He fought back the tears.

"Who is your mistress? You may speak."

"You are, Madame Celeste."

"And who's my faithful little dog?"

There was a pause. "You may answer."

"I am, Madame Celeste."

"Good, now come and see me out of the house, and we shall say no more about it."

As she walked, Lucas followed her on his hands and knees.

Cara watched, tears falling down her face, her heart going out to Lucas. She was so angry at Wolenczak for making his wonderful, caring, gentle son go through this ordeal.

"Stop it. Leave him alone."

Celeste turned round to Cara, "Do not worry; you will have your turn next time. I expect you to be able to kneel for one hour by the time I see you next. Do you understand?" Cara wanted to punch her in the face. She wanted to wipe the smile off the woman's face and break her nose. She would have done it, only that meant that she would get punished, but she couldn't risk Lucas receiving punishment too. He had had enough, and she wanted to get him downstairs and into the relative safety of the basement.

"You may answer."

"Yes, Madame Celeste."

Cara stepped back and watched Madame Celeste leave the house with Lucas following. In a little while, Wolenczak returned with Lucas, thankfully on two feet. She was so mad.

"Well, Mrs Bridger, do you remember what I said about your disobedience?"

And to his utter amazement Cara answered back, "Yes, I do, fine. OK,just get on with it. Where do you want me? Living room? OK with you?" And she marched off. She then came back, and looked at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!"

Wolenczak was amazed and followed her in. Lucas waited patiently. He knew too well the sound his father's belt made. Next thing he knew, Cara came out, but not upset and repentant, but still really angry.

"We are going downstairs now." She turned to Curtis. "You've had sex." She then turned to Wolenczak. "And you've punished me." She turned to Lucas, and tenderly said, "Come on, time for bed." And, with that, she held his hand and led her young friend to the basement.

Curtis turned to Wolenczak, "What do you think Lou?"

"I think it's been a very profitable day, and I would like a drink," came the reply.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N Thank you, darkin520 for your time in checking this over for me:)

Chapter 33

By the time they had arrived in the basement, some of Cara's anger had been replaced with concern for Lucas.

"Lucas." She went over to him and put her arms around him; he folded into her body. She led him to the sofa, and they sat down.

"Will you be alright? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as gently as she could.

He shook his head. They stayed silent for a while.

"She made me feel so …."

Cara couldn't even guess what he was going to say, and so, she let him take his time.

"She made me feel so…. subservient… by the time she had finished with me, I would have done anything she told me too. I am so weak; I gave in so easily. She made me feel so scared."

"Lucas, she makes me feel scared too; you did what you had to do, and the result is that I have you back with me in one piece. I am very proud of you."

Lucas turned to her. "I just love how you care so much for me; you make me feel wanted because you always say the right thing to make me feel better."

"That's my job." said Cara simply, and she really meant it.

Freya heard another engine and sank back into the trees. The scary woman was driving her car down the driveway. She wondered why her mum hadn't warned her, but then remembered the woman went to the right after the driveway so she wouldn't have met up with her. All was quiet. Freya started to move towards the house again. When it finally came into view, she stopped. Now she had a better look at it; it was quite big. She thought it had a look of the 'Bates Motel'. Her Dad had joked about a place they stayed in when she was smaller, and her mum had explained about the Hitchcock film to her.

Dad!

She had forgotten – how was he? How could she not think of him when he had been shot? What sort of daughter was she? Shaking her head as though she was trying to push her guilt to the back of her mind, she knew, however, as much as it upset her, that she would have to deal with that later and get on with the matter in hand-trying to find her mum and Lucas and think of a way to deal with the situation. She decided that she needed to have a look around. Keeping to the trees, she went to the side of the house which was closest. She took off the jacket, putting her PAL into the back pocket of her shorts. As carefully as possible, Freya moved over to the first window she saw and went on to her tip toes; it was a kitchen, and on the table were several bottles of beer and whiskey. She edged around the house. There was a large garage at the back. She kept moving slowly until she saw light shining through windows very near the ground; she bent down and saw her mum and Lucas sitting on the sofa. At last! She did a double take… Their hair! They both had short black hair! She nearly lost her footing because she was so surprised. She wanted to knock on the window and tell them she was there, but she stopped herself; just seeing them made her want to cry. Not knowing if anyone else was near by, she made herself carry on. She edged around the front of the house and heard some music. There were two men, and they were drinking. It was Wolenczak and Curtis. She saw Curtis go out of the room, and after a while, he came back with Lucas and her mum He went to Lucas and started stroking Lucas's hair and then his body. She felt sick. Curtis then took Lucas out of the room. She couldn't really see everything as she was looking from below, and the ground floor was elevated due to the presence of the basement. She then saw Wolenczak approach her mother. They both disappeared out of view. Freya didn't know what to do. She waited; after a while, her mum and Wolenczak seemed to re-appear. She saw Wolenczak slap her mother really hard and she wanted to rush in and… what? What could she do? She knew that she hated this man so much. She had to think. She needed somewhere to go. The garage around the back of the house seemed to be the best option, so she retraced her steps and opened the door. At the same time, Curtis was returning to the living room with Lucas and saw the garage door close.

"Hey, what's that?" asked Curtis.

"What?" asked Wolenczak.

"I thought I saw something in the garage, probably a racoon, I'll go and check."

"You two, come over here," ordered Wolenczak. "Edward, can you just secure their hands before you go? I don't trust Mrs Bridger since her outburst."

Curtis went over and tied their hand with cable ties.

"What about their legs, Lou?"

"No, that's fine."

Curtis went over and collected a gun from the cabinet in the living room. Cara had not noticed it before, and the thought of a gun made her shiver. He went outside and headed for the garage and straight towards Freya, who was beginning to really panic while looking around for a hiding place. She had to make a very quick decision and prayed that it was the right one.

"Here, racoon, where are y…." but Edward Curtis never finished the sentence. As he walked into the garage and went to switch on the light, a huge spanner came crashing down on his head, and it knocked him out cold. Freya jumped down from the box she was standing on, dropped the spanner, and went to get some plastic rope that was hanging up in the garage. Her hands were shaking as she tied him up. She tied his hands and his feet and gagged him. Her time in Girl Guides had helped with the knotting, and she hoped it would secure him. In reality, it would have secured a small rhinoceros, and so, she did not need to worry. The gun was lying on the ground next to Curtis. She looked at the gun and picked it up. Freya wasn't really sure what she was going to do with it, but she held on to it. Since all this had begun, Ben had taken it upon himself to show her how to use a firearm as he had wanted her to be able to defend herself, if it was ever needed. They had not told anyone, and she was so thankful now; at least she knew how to take the safety off.

Freya took a deep breath deciding this was the time. Was this her inspiration?

She carefully lifted the PAL out of her pocket.

"_Here we go,"_ she said to herself. _"It's now or never!"_ She held the two pieces next to each other and pressed, pushing the two halves together, closing her eyes very tightly and slowing down her pounding heart, she tried to reach out with her mind; _"Help me, __**seaQuest**__;__I really need you to receive this! Dad! __**Kit**__ – help … find me!"_ As she thought about her sister, for a microsecond, she felt something – almost like an electric charge come from the PAL and heard, '_Freya' - _but was she imagining it? Freya just didn't know. Had Kit answered her? She knew Kit had great power. When they were together, Kit could move things without touching them. She had tried and sometimes was successful, but Kit was brilliant and never failed. They hadn't really bothered to tell anyone as it was their time together, and they enjoyed trying new challenges out on their own.

The moment passed and the broken PAL was silent.

Freya was going to stay in the garage and wait, but she heard her mum shouting. Looking at Curtis, who was still out cold, she went out of the garage doors towards the house. Slowly climbing up the back steps and into the house by the open back doors, she kept on tip-toe. Her flip flops were still in the coat, and so, her bare feet made no noise as she went through the house.

The sound of her mum's angry voice was unmistakeable, "Leave him alone, you bastard; if you want to punch someone; why not pick on someone your own size, instead of your child!"

Freya headed towards the sound and went in through the open door. Wolenczak was standing with his back to her; and she saw him raise his fist and strike Lucas, who was kneeling in front of him.

She heard herself shout, "Get away from him, you bully!"

"Freya… no!" Lucas and Cara both shouted at once, their startled faces looking at her.

Wolenczak turned to face her, pulling Lucas up. He appeared to be very calm.

"Well, welcome, Miss Bridger…Your family never fails to amaze me…" He smiled…. "And what are you going to do if I don't?" With that, he slapped Lucas hard across the face.

"This! Get away from him!" She said aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

Several things all happened at once. There was a noise and a shout from Wolenczak, a cry of "No!" from Cara, and Wolenczak fell backwards; Freya dropped the gun and ran to Lucas; she hugged him and then turned to see her Mum.

"Freya. Where? What? How?"

"I broke the PAL; I couldn't tell you and … and… I came back. I'm _so_ sorry"

She burst into tears and rushed over to her mum. Lucas followed.

Freya was now just sobbing.

"It's alright. Ssh, Freya, don't worry; we will sort all this out; can you find something to untie me?"

"Sorry, Mum, I'm so sorry!" Freya kept repeating.

She then turned to Lucas, "I've shot him; I've killed your father, Lucas."

Lucas's mind was racing, but he tried to appear calm, "Don't worry," soothed Lucas, "Let me check; he may not be..." Lucas looked at the place where Wolenczak fell, but there was no body.

A familiar voice cut through the air, "On the contrary, I feel fine, Miss Bridger."

Freya, straightened herself and looked completely baffled.

Lawrence Wolenczak was facing her, pointing a gun towards the three of them.

"How lovely to see you, Freya; now just step this way, while I secure your hands. Do not do anything rash because I have the gun pointed at Lucas, and you know I will not hesitate to use it."

She knew that too. Freya walked toward Wolenczak and held out her hands whilst he put a cable tie around them. It all seemed so unreal; as though she was in a dream.

"Good girl."

She flinched as he secured them.

"Too tight? Excellent! You will learn some respect, just as Lucas and your mother have." He paused and looked at her up and down. She was dressed in a top and shorts and was barefoot. Her feet and legs looked as though they had been somewhere muddy, not clothing for the middle of the night. He continued, "I am very puzzled? How did you get here?"

Freya said nothing and received a slap across her face.

Together, Cara and Lucas shouted, "Leave her alone!"

Wolenczak was in his element. He went over to Lucas and Cara and picked up a roll of duct tape from the table.

"I think Freya should just hear my voice at the moment." He went towards Cara.

"You maniac, leave her alone. Don't' you har…mmm." With that, Cara had duct tape put over her mouth. She struggled as much as she could and tried to kick out at Wolenczak as he came towards her; she was trying everything to protect Freya from him, which he knew. He secured the tape and then punched her so hard in the face that she blacked out and crumpled to the floor."

"Mum!" cried Freya.

"Ssh, she will be alright," he retorted.

Turning to Lucas, Wolenczak asked. "Now, do you want to be gagged, or will you stay quiet?"

"Quiet," mumbled Lucas.

Wolenczak went up to him and slapped him hard; Freya jumped and started to sob even harder.

"What did you say?"

"I'll stay quiet, sir."

"Good, kneel where I can see you, oh, and where Miss Bridger can see you too….Now, what was I saying? He walked back towards a very distressed Freya; she had seen her mother knocked unconscious and Lucas being hurt. She was absolutely terrified. Tears poured down her face, and she was making sobbing noises. Wolenczak positioned himself in front of her. "Now, where were we? Oh, yes, I want you to answer some questions. I only want you to tell me the truth because, otherwise, I shall have to punish you, and more than likely, Lucas as well if I find you are lying to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Wolenczak," she whispered.

"Good girl; I see you are a fast learner. Stop those silly noises. Freya, tell me how you got here."

Nathan had almost got Michael up to the present with all the events that had taken place since he was shot.

Suddenly Kit sprang up from her chair, "**Freya!** I know where she is! She's with mummy and Lucas. She's by the big house; I know the PAL has sent a signal!"

At the same time, on the bridge of the _seaQuest, _a signal from Freya's PAL flashed up, just once, but it was there. The whole bridge erupted with activity, and a call was put out for the captain.

As Captain Bridger entered, the bridge co-ordinates were being downloaded, and a helicopter was getting ready to fly to the area. UEO security would meet them near the house.

Before leaving, Nathan paid a visit to Med bay. "We are going to find them this time! We'll keep you posted!"

"Keep safe, Nathan," Kristin called as he was leaving.

"Bring my girls home," added Michael

"And Lucas!" Kit called out.

"Promise," Nathan called as he headed towards the launch bay.

Nathan, Ben, and Katie boarded the launch that was going to take them to the helipad.

"It will be fine, Captain," encouraged Katie.

"I hope so; I hope we are there in time," Nathan gripped onto the rail waiting for the doors to open and ready to sprint to the helicopter. All he could think about was holding Lucas in his arms again, making sure that they were all safe.

Freya described how she had got into the boot of the car that had taken Cara and Lucas and what she had been doing, finishing with the fact that she had knocked Edward Curtis out cold.

Wolenczak listened without interrupting.

"I see you are a very enterprising young lady. I also think you were willing to shoot me to protect Lucas; now that is interesting. I am pleased that your aim was not very good." He paused for a moment as though listening for something. "As I cannot hear any noise coming from the garage, I presume Edward is still unconscious. That leaves me with a problem; and you are the cause of this problem." He came towards her.

"Leave her alone!" Lucas was frantic; he didn't want his father anywhere near Freya. He just didn't want to think what he may do to her. Lucas's outburst was rewarded with a blow to his head. Freya jumped and began to sob again.

"Stop that!" ordered Wolenczak. She gasped and tried to stop crying, which only resulted in her giving herself hiccoughs. She pushed her lips together to try to reduce the sound she was involuntarily making.

"I shall have to think about the situation. Freya, kneel down. I am going into the study now. If I hear so much as a sound coming from either of you, you will both be punished. Do you understand?"

With the response of, "Yes, sir." from the two of them, he left the room and went into the study and sat down. He left the door open so that he could check on the two teenagers.

He reasoned that as the PAL was broken; no help would be coming. However, they did need to move from this base because he was sure Kit had been able to give some clues about the location. He remembered Nathan Bridger trying to silence her after she mentioned the size of the house. With Curtis unconscious, it would be very hard to try and move three unwilling people by himself and drive the car. He would have to think about this.

'_Lucas, I am so sorry I've messed everything up. I am so stupid._

_Freya, don't worry. We will think of something_.' However, Lucas was completely lost for ideas.

'_I couldn't even shoot straight.'_

'_I couldn't believe you could shoot at all.'_

There was a pause.

'_I think that I got a message to __**seaQuest**__,__' s_he said slowly.

'_**What?'**_

'_I am not one hundred percent sure, but I could hear Kit's voice, and the PAL sort of buzzed like there was an electric charge going through it.'_

'_But how? You said it was broken in two pieces.'_

'_I think it was Bridger Power,'_ she said.

She then turned around and looked at Cara.

'_Lucas, look at mum; she is still out cold, and look at the bruise forming on her face. He must have hit her so hard. Will she be alright?'_

Tears streamed down Freya's face. She didn't think she had ever cried so much in such a short space of time. However, she didn't think she had ever been this scared. How could this maniac be Lucas's father? They couldn't be related; Lucas must have been adopted. There was nothing similar. They did not look alike, they did not sound the same, and they didn't even have any similar gestures like you have in some families.

'_Cara will be fine; she is made from very tough stock.'_ Lucas tried to comfort her, _'She has received far more from him than that.' _As soon as he said that, he immediately wished he hadn't said it as Freya turned to face him with absolute horror in her eyes.

'_Freya…I…'_

'_Deep down, I know that you have both been very hurt by him, but… it's really hard actually seeing it with my own eyes; I just think you two are incredibly brave.'_

Lucas so wished he could put his arm round her and comfort her. He then realised what he was wearing, the briefest pair of leather shorts in the whole world. Madame Celeste had made him wear them for the training session. Lucas suddenly turned into a normal seventeen year-old boy and became very embarrassed in front of Freya. And he wanted to take her to the cinema; how could they after this? He was pulled back from this devastating thought by another question from Freya.

'_Why did they change your hair?'_ He wanted to say that it was that they would be more sellable on the sex market, but he couldn't.

'_I have no idea, probably one of my father's whims.'_

'_Then we'll have to do something before we go out together; you look like something from, 'The Lord of the Rings.'_

"_**YES!" **_He shouted to himself.He couldn't believe it.

'_And lose the shorts. People will think you are tarzan,'_ she added, smiling at the colour his face was becoming.

After an exchange of smiles, they knelt in silence, both trying to think of a way to keep safe until Nathan Bridger came to their rescue.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N Once more, thanks to darkin520 for her beta skills :)**

Chapter 34

"I don't want Wolenczak to know we are coming." Nathan looked at Katie and Ben. "Last time he got away." Nathan's expression changed. "This time escape is not an option; do you understand?" Along with the rest of the team in the helicopter, Ben and Katie answered, "Aye, Sir."

"We shall be meeting the UEO force at this rendezvous." He pointed to a position on the map. "And then, we shall proceed on foot. I do not want to give away our presence. Understood?"

"Aye, Captain."

The rest of the flight was in silence, although Katie could tell that the captain was willing the helicopter pilot to travel at the speed of light to get to the meeting point as fast as possible.

Kit was sitting on Michael's bed. She looked upset.

"Kit, sweetheart, it will be alright. They will be rescued," soothed Kristin.

Kit began to cry.

"What is it?" Michael and Kristin both asked together. Michael reached out and held her hand, and Kristin came over to put her arm around her.

"I don't want to tell you," she said and let go of Michael's hand and buried her face into her own small hands. Kristin looked at Michael, who was at a loss what to do.

"Kit," Dagwood's slow, steady voice came from behind them, "you told me that you can always tell your problems to your friends."

"Did I?"

"Yes, when I threw Tony's poker hat out by accident and I was looking for it in the rubbish, I told you, and you helped me and found it and cleaned it and you gave it back to Tony, and you said it was your fault, and he forgave you because you were cute, and he wasn't angry at me because he didn't know, and he said he didn't think I'm cute. When I asked him, he said I was a pain in the rear." He paused. "So you have to tell."

Michael and Kristin were a little lost, but it seemed to work for Kit.

She wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeve and took a deep breath.

"You know when I said that I heard Freya ask for help, and we made the PAL work…"

"You made the PAL work?" asked Michael incredulously.

"Yes, it was broken, Freya stood on it by accident."

"How do you know?" asked Kristin.

"I saw it in her mind," Kit replied matter-of -factly as though they should know. Kristin and Michael shot a glance at each other, but didn't say anything.

"That's really clever," said Dagwood, "Can you see what I'm thinking?"

"Sometimes," she answered, "I can tell what people are thinking if they have very shouty thoughts."

"What are shouty thoughts?" Dagwood asked.

"When people are very angry, or happy, or excited, or upset, I can hear words coming from their head if I really concentrate, but I don't want to do it very often because I'm not interested, and its very rude to listen, except for listening to Tony; he has very funny thoughts about broads. I think they are ladies, but I like how Tony talks in his head."

Despite the situation they were in, Kristin could feel herself smiling; the 'Piccolo effect' indeed. It seemed that Dagwood's questions had calmed Kit down, and she was more willing to talk. Kristin steered the conversation back to Freya.

"Kit, what were you saying about Freya?"

"Oh yes." Kit looked sad and the smile left her face. "When Freya called me, and we used the PAL to send the message to _seaQuest_, I was able to stay with her. I haven't been able to contact her before because she was such a long way away, but something has made me contact her now… and she is really upset…the bad man… the bad man has her tied up with Lucas…and," she was beginning to cry now, "he hurt mummy so badly that he knocked her out, and she isn't speaking…I didn't want to tell you because it would make you so sad, Daddy, especially as you have just woken up."

It's true, when he heard that Freya was now with Wolenczak and that he had knocked Cara out, Michael felt so angry …and so scared for them … and so useless; he should be going with Nathan to rescue his wife and child and not leaving it to his older brother, but at the moment, he felt so weak; he would only be a hindrance to the rescue mission. However, when he saw the look on Kit's face and how she had obviously thought it through really carefully so as not to upset him, his heart melted, and he calmed down and just smiled at Kit. He was _so_ proud of her.

She turned and clung on to Kristin and cried again. Kristin thought for a moment and then asked, "Kit, did you tell Freya that Uncle Nathan is on his way to rescue them?"

Kit looked up. "No! I forgot." She immediately brightened up. "I'll tell her now." And with that, she closed her eyes.

'_Aren't your knees hurting?'_ asked Lucas, whose knees were now wobbling, and he sat back.

'_Not too bad, but remember, Catholic, used to praying on knees,'_ she answered.

'_Really, you're on your knees that much?'_

If it were any other time, Freya knew she could have a lot of fun with this conversation thread, but not now, not in this place.

'_No, not so much, but probably more than you.'_

There was silence and then, she asked, _'Lucas, what did that scary woman do to you?'_

No reply.

'_Lucas, I'm sorry; if you don't want to tell me, that's OK.'_

Lucas didn't look at Freya as he began to speak, but looked straight ahead, trying to detach himself from what he was saying.

'_She made me pretend to be her dog, and I had to go around on hands and knees and follow all her instructions, and she put a collar and leash on me and whipped me if I didn't do as she told me.'_ It was as much as Lucas could tell Freya, but he was actually surprised at himself for telling her so much. He still couldn't tell her about the lessons he'd had on sexual techniques. He didn't think he would be able to share that with anyone for a very long time; but just telling someone a little bit of what he endured during the time Cara was away made him feel a little better.

Lucas's revelation of what he had been through recently made Freya's blood boil. For an instant, she had forgotten how scared she was and anger welled up inside her.

'_The bitch, I hope we find her and she rots in jail. I wish I'd shot her too as she was driving way," s_he added,_ 'and __**not **__missed.'_

Lucas was taken back. He'd been so used to being with Cara, who was, as far as he knew, totally non-violent and didn't speak badly of anyone – hearing Freya saying how she felt was so different was a stark contrast. Lucas then remembered that Freya had actually tried to shoot his father because he had been hurting him. She had actually pulled the trigger. He wasn't sure how he felt, although he knew he would have done the same if it was Freya that was being threatened. He was learning more and more about Freya Bridger and was intrigued to discover what else there was to find out.

'_Who taught you to shoot?'_

'_Ben.'_

'_When?'_

'_The odd time, here and there, but I wasn't a very good pupil.'_

'_Why do you say that?'_

'_Because I missed and got us into this mess we are in now … but actually facing a real person and pulling the trigger … is very different to all the simulations I dealt with when I was learning; although I think I could do better now…I just couldn't stand to see him hurt you.'_ And with that, she moved over to him and rested her head on his chest. Lucas was about to say something, wishing so hard he could put his arm around her when Freya jolted up.

'_**Kit!**__ She can hear me and has just said that the PAL worked; Uncle Nathan is on the way. He's coming to rescue us!'_

Lucas gave the biggest smile he could. They just had to hold on for a little while longer. His only worry was that they would be moved. Could they delay his father until then? As if on cue, he heard his father's voice.

"Why the smile, Lucas? What have you done?"

"Nothing…I was just…"

"I told him a joke." Freya said defiantly, looking straight at Wolenczak.

"No she didn't; I was just being foolish. It was me, _not_ her."

"Stand up, Lucas."

Lucas stood up shakily.

"What were my instructions before I left?"

"Not to make a sound, Sir."

"And what did you tell me that you learned with Madame Celeste earlier this evening?"

"That if I was disobedient, I would be punished severely."

"So, what do you think I should do?"

"Leave him alone you…big…horrible…" Freya just couldn't get the words out.

"Oh, your turn will be next, Freya, have no fear; I shall not leave you out."

With that, he grabbed Lucas and pulled him towards the table which was under the window and pushed him across it. Lucas was dreading what his father was going to do to him, but more frightened of Freya seeing it. Somehow, he just wanted to protect her from seeing that his father beat him; it would be an admission to her of what his life had been like.

Freya watched in horror as Wolenczak started undoing his belt and sliding it out of the loops of his trousers. She couldn't believe that a father could do this to his child. She thought of her own father; kind, gentle, funny, but who guided her and yes, told her off when she had done something wrong, but he would never, ever raise a hand to her. She snapped out of it, and as she watched Wolenczak get into position and raise his arm, something began to twist and turn inside her, and she stared at him with blazing eyes. Wolenczak was too concerned with Lucas to see Freya stand up, staring intently at him.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she shouted, her glare piercing the back of Wolenczak's head. He went to bring his arm down, but then, he stopped, and his arm began to shake. Then, he let the belt fall and put both hands to his head.

He turned and stared back at Freya, coming towards her. "What are you doing to me?" With his movement towards her, Freya panicked and dropped concentration. She saw him raise his hand and saw it coming towards her … and then nothing.

Lucas got up from the table when he realised his father was moving away from him. At first, he didn't know what was happening, and then he knew – Freya was hurting his father with her mind. Before he could do anything, his father had gone to her and knocked her out.

"No!" He got up and headed towards his father, buffeting him in the back, trying to see if Freya was alright; his father lost balance temporarily, but righted himself and swung around. He grabbed the back of Lucas's neck and punched him hard in the stomach, taking the wind out of Lucas's lungs. But, he didn't stop there.

"Why … is… it… that… these… females… want… to… protect…you…when…you …are…worth…nothing?" Every word was accompanied with a blow to Lucas's face and body.

As he let go of Lucas and watched him slide to the floor, he went to kick him, announcing, "I am going to sort this problem out, once and for all."

Cara was floating somewhere warm and comfortable. She decided that she must have died and this was her final journey, up and up; but no, she suddenly felt very cold and very wet; she didn't understand. Now her body was shaking, on its own. No, someone was shaking her. She opened her eyes and then closed them. She felt a sting across her face, and then, she remembered where she was and who she would see. She opened her eyes. Wolenczak was standing in front of her with a glass in his hand. He had thrown cold water at her to snap her out of her unconsciousness.

"So glad you decided to join us." Her head was pounding.

"I have a little task for you, Mrs Bridger." He turned around and walked away from her. As her vision cleared, her blood froze. Wolenczak stopped in between two people who were standing with their arms above them, suspended from the ceiling; Lucas and Freya! Lucas's face was covered in bruises and Freya had a bruise and black eye forming across the right side of her face. They were both gagged and both looked towards her with wide, frightened eyes.

"Mrs Bridger, I have a problem. Circumstances dictate that I can only take two of you with me on my next journey. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whom I should take."

He pulled out the gun and held it at Lucas's head, then turned and did the same thing to Freya.

Finally he turned to Cara.

"Lucas or Freya? - You choose."


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N darkin520 you rock :)**

Chapter 35

"No!" I won't.

"Come now, Mrs Bridger, I am sure you would rather make the choice than leave it to me."

Cara's mind was spinning – and then she heard Freya.

'_Mum, Kit has been able to contact me; Uncle Nathan knows we are here, so we have to try and delay things and make sure we don't move from this location - but I'm not sure when that will be.'_ Freya tried to fill her mum in on the latest situation so she knew what was happening.

Cara had to make some very quick decisions. She couldn't show that she was relieved that Nathan was on his way, and she had to deal with the most imminent problem.

"Why can't we all go?"

"Because your daughter…" And with that, he went to Freya and stroked her cheek with the gun. Freya closed her eyes. Cara's body went rigid, and she thought she was not going to be able to breathe at the sight of a gun being put near Freya. However, Wolenczak did not notice and carried on, "… decided that she was going to incapacitate Edward, and so I can no long rely on his services."

He turned back to Cara. "Therefore, I am unable to manage the three of you on my own."

"_Think, Cara, think!"_ she urged herself.

"We would be good and not cause any trouble, I promise," she bargained.

"I am afraid that _your_ daughter is a bad influence on _my_ son, and so _I_ cannot trust them to do as they are told."

Lucas looked at Freya,

'_This is the first time he has acknowledged that I'm his son and that I'm not the main protagonist.'_

'_Good to know it's me that's leading you astray then.'_

'_I wouldn't want anyone else to be a bad influence on me.'_

Their thoughts were interrupted by Wolenczak walking behind Lucas and Freya and then standing in front of them, "So…choose."

"Well, I love them both very much and so cannot choose that way…" she was desperately thinking of how to prolong this conversation to give Nathan a chance. Before she had an idea, Wolenczak broke the silence.

"Even though Lucas is not your child?" Wolenczak seemed genuinely surprised at her statement.

She looked at Wolenczak, "Mr. Wolenczak, from the first moment I saw Lucas on _seaQuest_, two years ago, I have loved him like he was my own son."

This had an effect on both Lucas and Lawrence.

To Lucas, this was one of the most wonderful pieces of information he had ever heard, only to be matched with the admission that Nathan Bridger had wanted to adopt him because he, too, loved Lucas. At that time, Lucas had never heard anybody declare that they loved him. It was the first time somebody had showed they cared in such a way as to want Lucas to be part of their family.

After meeting Cara, Lucas had also wanted to be part of her family too. Now, under all the stress and duress that Cara had been going through over the past three months since their initial capture; their release and recapture – everything that Cara had endured because of her association with him, AND she was _still_ willing to say to his father's face that she loved Lucas. He was stunned; at that moment, he felt he could take on the whole world. He looked over at Cara, who was still looking directly at his father and then at Freya, who despite being gagged, had a smile on her face.

'_Your mom is amazing.'_

'_I know._'

The effect Cara's statement had on Wolenczak was also dramatic. He walked back to Lucas and pulled his hair up so that Lucas was looking at Cara.

"You mean to tell me that you would even consider saving the life of this worthless piece of insignificance?"

"How can you even ask that? Yes, of course I would. He is kind, generous, brave, funny, has a heart of gold, intelligent…"

"How have you lied to her?" Wolenczak cut Cara off and was directing his question to Lucas, who shook his head.

"What has he ever done to make you feel like this?" she asked, trying to work out what was going through Wolenczak's mind.

Wolenczak turned back to Cara.

"From the moment he was born, he demanded time. He was noisy and messy. The servants gave up a great deal of their time placating him. He misbehaved and took a great deal of time to learn about my work. Every time I saw him, he wanted me to waste my time and play with him. He caused my wife to leave. But I am sorry I ever sent him to _seaQuest;_ when he came back on leave again, he had forgotten his earlier training and assumed that I should spend time with him."

"But that's what parents do!" she protested, "They spend time with their children, teaching, guiding and showing them all about life. The time you spend with your children is the most precious time you can have, and, yes, children _are_ demanding. ALL children are demanding; that's how they learn and form relationships…"

"Enough!" Wolenczak did not want to listen to any more. A small part of him had started listening to what she was saying, and it had seemed to make sense. It was logical; if you put a great deal of effort into a project, you would get a good return from it. The problem was that the return from a child took many, many years…

"Well," Cara continued slowly, wildly thinking of something else to say, "Lucas's work on _seaQuest_ is innovative and vital in marine communication and … there isn't anything he doesn't know about computers…"

"What about, Freya?" interrupted Wolenczak, who had had his fill of listening to Cara talking about his 'wonderful' son.

"She is loving and giving and makes me laugh; her passion for what she believes in is very strong. She is not only a very gifted learner, but she loves sports and music. She is a caring big sister to Kit, and a good friend to me. She loves her father and spends time with him, and she just adores it when they play sports together."

"You haven't mentioned her telepathic abilities," commented Wolenczak.

"That doesn't alter how much I love her or reflect her value as a human being."

"On the contrary, Mrs Bridger, it alters her value a great deal and has now made my mind up who we are going to take and who we are going to leave." He walked towards Freya, "Through you my dear, I can also find out about your younger sister, who, from my brief association with her, has shown she has untapped mental powers…"

Freya wanted to tell Wolenczak that she would rather die than to let him near Kit. Cara also wanted to shout out in protest at the thought of Wolenczak wanting to get near Kit, but she had to put those thoughts to the back of her mind. She had to delay Wolenczak in any way she could.

"Leave me!" Cara demanded. "Take Lucas and Freya; they both have great gifts, and you can use them._ I'm_ the one you should leave."

Wolenczak was really enjoying himself. In truth, he had decided to take all three. He was going to put Lucas in the boot of the car and the two females in the back of the car, but he wanted to prolong their concern a little longer; he was interested in watching the dynamics of their relationships under stress. Wolenczak had already arranged that he was going to drive to an associate's house, which wasn't too far from their current location and organize a new base from there. He had money, two telepaths with a great possibility of being able to gain a third with exceptional talent, and he begrudgingly had to admit, his son, who was good at computers. He would start afresh.

One more small charade - he would pull back from sacrificing Lucas at the last minute - showing that he could be a reasonable man, earning their trust as it was easier to manipulate their actions, and then, they would be away.

The helicopter landed in a clearing, and the crew from the _seaQuest _had met up with the rest of the UEO Security team. They had travelled some distance in the cars but were now on foot, heading towards the house.

Wolenczak stared at Cara. "You do realise what that means, don't you, Mrs Bridger?" And he came over and pointed the gun at her head.

She looked at him. "Yes."

"You would give your life for your daughter and Lucas?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm not going to give you the opportunity."

He walked toward Lucas.

"Time's up," he said and put the gun to Lucas's head.

The next few seconds passed in great confusion, and no one really knew which order they happened.

Lucas closed his eyes; Freya sent such a shock wave to Wolenczak's brain that he was distracted.

Cara screamed, "No!"

Wolenczak looked towards the door where he had noticed slight movement.

A shot rang out.

Cara screamed again.

When Lucas opened his eyes, his father was on the floor. One look, and he knew his father wasn't going to get up from this one. Cara stood up and ran towards Lucas and Freya; Nathan and Katie rushed in. Ben replaced the gun he had just fired back into its holster.

"They are safe!" laughed Kit, "Uncle Nathan has found them! I knew he would!"

Kristin, Michael, and Kit hugged each other, and then, Kit got off the Michael's bed and went to hug Dagwood, who lifted her up and gave her a big smile.

After Lucas and Freya were cut down from their ropes and their gags removed, there had been much hugging and crying and laughing. Cara, Lucas, and Freya were on the sofa in the living room with blankets over them, having a warm drink. Freya couldn't stop shaking. She was sitting in the middle. Lucas put his arm round her and wrapped the two blankets further round the two of them. Nathan was sitting on the arm of the sofa, holding Cara's hand.

"Nathan, is it over? Is he…?"

"No, he's not dead; somehow he has managed to survive, but he has a bullet in his brain, so we'll see what the doctors say. But I am sure the prognosis will not be good."

"What about Curtis?"

"He is still out cold…and you say Freya did that?"

Cara nodded.

Nathan smiled. "Your girls are certainly a force to be reckoned with."

Cara nodded in agreement; she hadn't really taken in all that her daughters had done over the last few days. However, her prime concern was reuniting all her family.

"When can we see Kit and Michael?"

"We are just finishing off now; Wolenczak and Curtis are on their way to the UEO military hospital, and I need to get you three seen by a medic."

"Please, Nathan," begged Cara, "I know a very good medic that we can go and see who will look after us, and she's also a Chief Medical Officer; I don't want to go back to the hospital yet. Just let all the family be together again. I want to go home; I want to go to _seaQuest._" Nathan nodded, he knew he couldn't argue, and also, there was no better qualified doctor than Kristin to look after them. He turned to Katie and gave some instructions. A little while later, she told them that a car was ready to take them to the helicopter. Lucas and Freya were given some blue UEO joggers and fleeces so that they could make the journey more comfortably. The journey in the car, helicopter, and launch seemed to pass in a haze. However, when they had finally docked, and the airlock lifted to show the logo of _seaQuest_, Cara finally burst in to tears as Michael was sitting in a wheelchair waiting for her with Kit and Dagwood at his side. Kristin was in Chief Medical Officer mode, so ensured that their first port of call was going to be Med bay.

Cara went to Michael and bent down to kiss him.

"I have missed you so much. I love you."

"I seem to have missed all the fun," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "but you are safe now, and I love you too."

Kit launched herself at her mum. "Mummy I missed you too, but the bad man is very, very sick because Ben shot him." Yet again, Kit didn't fail to amaze them with her off the cuff comments – Cara, Lucas, nor Freya had not realised that Ben had shot Wolenczak, but just assumed it was a UEO marksman.

Cara knew why Ben had fired; she had known him for years as he had been a cadet with Nathan's son, Robert, and they had become the best of friends. After Robert went missing and was presumed dead, Ben saw the affect it had on Nathan.

The scene that would have presented itself to Ben when they entered the living room of the house would have been Wolenczak about to shoot Lucas. Ben would not allow Captain Bridger to face losing a son again. He did the only thing he could do to put Lucas out of danger. He shot Wolenczak. Cara had always liked Ben. She knew he could be a real pain, was loud, and often found himself very near that thin red line between right and wrong, but his sincerity and loyalty to his friends could not be matched. He had taken Lucas under his wing when Lucas had first arrived on _seaQuest_ and became like an older brother to him. Cara wished there were a few more Ben Kriegs around – they would certainly make life more interesting. She fleetingly wondered what a boat of Ben Kriegs and Tony Piccolos would be like – too much! She shook herself and carried on.

"I think that would be fun!" announced Kit.

"What?"

"A boat of Bens and Tonys"

"Kit!"

"Sorry, mummy, I couldn't help it; _I'm_ so excited!"

She looked at her daughter, her eight-year old daughter. The rescue would have taken so much longer without Kit's abilities.

"You were brilliant, Kit,"replied Cara, "Come on, let's not hold up launch bay; let's go to Med bay."

Lucas and Freya were together, Lucas protectively walking with his arm round Freya.

Kit went over to Dagwood and said, "See, smoochy." Dagwood stared intently at them for a little while, as though making a mental note about smoochy and then carried on, pushing Michael in the wheelchair. The procession went through the ship, being greeted by all the crew that they came across. Kristin led the way, followed by Cara, holding hands with Kit, next came Michael and Dagwood, and lastly, Lucas and Freya.

When Nathan entered Med bay some hours later, having been satisfied that the forensic investigation of the house was in good hands, Lucas and Cara were lying in beds, both on drips for re-hydration. Michael was also back in bed as all the worry and excitement of the last few hours had been very demanding, and he was still not fully recovered. Kit was sitting on a chair, reading with Kristin, who had only just sat down after finishing the medical report on Cara, Freya, and Lucas.

"How are they?" asked Nathan.

Kristin went over to hug Nathan, pleased that he was looking a lot less worried than when he had left to rescue them. They held onto each other, Kristin feeling Nathan's body finally relax.

"They have both suffered at the hands of Wolenczak and Curtis, and Lucas by this … Madame Celeste. There is extensive bruising, tissue damage and…" She led Nathan into her office, acutely aware of Kit's presence in Med bay. "…they have, again, both suffered sexual abuse." Nathan could feel his hands clench at the thought of their treatment by Lawrence Wolenczak. This, he prayed, would be the last time, ever.

She was also able to give some good news. "However, their mental states seem to be a great deal more positive, which will be a wonderful aid to recovery."

"How do you think Lucas is coping?"

"Remarkably well; I think that having Freya to care for at the end has made him feel responsible."

As if on cue, Freya, who had been for a long bath walked in to Med bay. She had washed her hair and was wearing a loose blue shirt, which picked out the colour of her eyes, jeans and moccasins. She was very pale and still bore the bruises and a black eye as a reminder of her experience, but to everyone, especially Lucas, she looked so pretty.

She came up to Nathan. "Is everything sorted back at the house?"

"The forensic team is in there now."

"How's the man I knocked out? Is he going to be alright?"

"Yes, Freya, he was coming too when they got to the hospital. Apparently, it took three medics to untie him. What did you do?"

"Never tangle with a Girl Guide, I learnt from the best."

"You must have; Edward Curtis could not believe he was taken down by a fourteen-year old girl. I don't think he'll live it down."

"What will happen to him?"

"I am sure that he will go to prison for a long time."

"Will Mum and Lucas have to testify against him?"

"I should think so."

"Will they be alright? Will they have to be in court? Could they do it on a vid link?"

"Something will be sorted, Freya, don't worry. Enjoy your time with the family."

He hugged her, and Freya walked towards Cara's bed.

Nathan turned to Kristin. "Will she be alright?"

"She will need to talk to someone about what she saw and what she did. She, too, has had a traumatic time, but with help, and her family around her, she will be fine, especially as I notice there seems to be a blossoming romance in the air."

"Who?" asked Nathan.

"Oh Nathan," smiled, Kristin, "I'll let you find out for yourself. Come on, let's go and see how the family is doing." And with that, Kristin, too, headed toward the main area in the Med bay, which was solely occupied by the Bridger family.


	36. Chapter 36

**Thank you for reading, reviewing and adding as favourite story** **:o) And thank you to my Christmas Angel, darkin520 for checking through (should have said Christmas sausage - we know what I mean!)**

**Chapter 36**

It was so good to hear laughter coming from the central area of Med bay. At one point, very recently, Kristin thought that she would never hear it again. But now, the scene of a family sitting, chatting, and laughing together, even though it was in a medical unit, made her feel so pleased. Kit was sitting on Cara's bed, and Freya was sitting on Michael's. Lucas was on his side facing them, and they were talking about Freya's party on Bridger Island. No one really wanted to talk about the last few days, not yet, especially when the mood was so light.

After a while, Dagwood came to find Kit and asked if she wanted to go to have something to eat with him. She hopped off the bed and went to hold his hand.

"Are you coming, Freya?" she asked.

"Yes, do you know I'm really hungry? I can't remember when I last had something to eat."

"Does anyone want me to bring them something?"

"It's alright, Freya," responded Kristin, "I've arranged for something to be brought here."

"I would like to go and have something to eat with Freya," said Lucas and Freya's face lit up. Cara and Kristin noticed this immediately, but Michael was completely oblivious to his daughter's reaction.

"Not this time, Lucas, perhaps tomorrow, when I'm sure that you are strong enough," replied Kristin.

"But…"

"No, Lucas – and before you start, I have your dad's blessing on when I think you should be up and about."

Lucas was going to argue, but Kristin's reference to Nathan being Lucas's dad made Lucas realise that he was safe, back with his family and that normal, every day life and rules were now going to be a part of his life once again, and for this time, he would just feel comforted by that fact and not want to argue against authority.

As they walked in to the dining area, Freya spied Tim and went over to sit with him.

"I know what you did to help, Tim. Thank you so much. Can I come and join you?"

Tim immediately agreed. He was so pleased to see that Freya was up and about, and despite the bruises on her face and her black eye, she seemed is very good spirits. Freya went to help herself from the food bar and sat next to Tim. They chatted and laughed, and Tim was telling her about when he first arrived on _seaQuest_ and all the funny things that had happened to him.

By the time Freya had finished, Kit and Dagwood had already left, and so, Freya made her way back to Med bay. Her mum and dad were sleeping, so she went over to them to kiss them goodnight. Lucas was still awake. Perching on the end of his bed, she smiled.

"It feels good to be back, doesn't it?" she asked, smiling at him.

He reached over and held her hand, "Yes it does."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but I'll be fine in a day or two."

"He hurt you a great deal, didn't he?"

There was no point in lying to her. Why try to hide something that she knew had happened? He was tired of hiding. "Yes, he did, but…"

"What?"

"It's hard to explain, but this time, I do feel that there is closure. Even last time, when we were rescued, I couldn't really settle as I just had a feeling that my father wasn't finished with your mum or me, and as you know, he hadn't. Now, I don't have that feeling of dread….I just feel relieved," he explained and looked straight at Freya, "and happy."

She could feel herself blushing.

"Lucas, I think…"

He began to panic. Had he said too much? Had he read the situation wrong? Had he just made a fool of himself?

Freya saw the look in his eyes.

"No, Lucas, everything is fine. We do need to talk about…us, but at the moment, let's just be happy and think about when you will be well enough to take me to the cinema and how to cope with all the _seaQuest_ crew knowing we are going on our first date." And with that, she leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, "Goodnight."

Lucas just lay back contentedly and watched her leave Med bay, with such a smile on his face that even her father and uncle couldn't have missed had they been watching. He drifted off to sleep, and for the first time in months, everyone had a good night's rest.

The next couple of days involved Cara and Lucas becoming stronger and Michael making a rapid recovery. When Kristin was satisfied that they were all strong enough to leave, there was much hugging and thanking and, in Lucas's case, a very rapid exit. He went straight to his room and found that Tony had left it remarkably tidy. Without thinking, he switched on the laptop in his room and connected up to the internex; with the result that he found himself engrossed for several hours and did not notice time passing; it was good to catch up with some friends that he hadn't been in contact with for a while.

Michael and Cara had gone back to their quarters and found that the girls had made everywhere look warm and welcoming. As they came through the door, Freya was carrying in a pot of tea, and Kit had mugs and milk. They enjoyed their first, relaxed family talk for a while.

All the Bridgers were pleased to find out that Lucas and Cara did not have to go back to the UEO hospital. A house had been found for Michael, Cara, Lucas and the girls so that Dr. Palmer could visit them. At first, Lucas was disappointed that he was going to miss some routine maintenance on the computer systems of _seaQuest _especially as he found out that _seaQuest_ was actually leaving the docking area and going out on patrol for six weeks. However, once Nathan explained that it was living in the house or going back to hospital, Lucas soon agreed. He was also pleased that he would be able to spend some time with Freya.

"Will they be back for my birthday?" asked Kit. If Freya had had a birthday on Bridger Island, she certainly wanted one there too.

Cara knew exactly what Kit was thinking, not through telepathy, but the fact that Kit was a younger sister and did not want to be outdone by her sister; Cara knew that things were getting back to normal. "Yes, of course, they are due to come back at least ten days before your birthday."

"I would really like to have a fancy dress party," she announced.

"I'm sure we can arrange something," replied Cara.

The next day brought the return of Miguel, Piccolo, and Darwin.

Piccolo and Darwin arrived together at Lucas's room, one through the door and the other in the aqua tube. Lucas greeted Tony and then went straight to the moon pool where Kit was also waiting.

"How did you know?" asked Lucas.

"Darwin told me." Lucas was desperate to know how Kit did the things she did, but a promise was a promise, and he would not let Cara down.

At that point, they were both soaked by a stream of water from Darwin, and they both laughed.

Lucas turned on the vocoder and asked how Darwin was. Darwin answered that he was fine and Malcolm had taken good care of him.

Lucas could still see the brand clearly on Darwin's body. For a moment. he felt a clinching of his stomach, but Kit slipped her hand into his and smiled, and his worry seemed to fade away. Kit and Lucas spent an hour talking and playing with Darwin and both ended up getting into the moon pool with him to play an impromptu game of ball.

As Nathan finally managed to get away from his meeting about the imminent tour, approaching the moon pool, he could hear laughing and shouting from Lucas and Kit and lots of splashing. It made him feel so satisfied to see the three of them just playing and having a good time. He made sure he wasn't standing too close when he first said hello as he didn't want to be soaked.

"Good to see you again, my friend."

"BRIDGER COME AND PLAY," demanded Darwin.

"I can't at the moment as I am in the middle of negotiations with a new colony that has only just allowed the UEO to patrol in their waters. We are hoping to take _seaQuest_ for the first time, but I just wanted to say welcome back."

"BRIDGER PLAY LATER?"

"Yes, of course, I'll be back when I can, but I can see that you are in good hands."

"DARWIN GLAD TO BE BACK WITH POD. WE PLAY. DARWIN BEAT LUCAS AND KIT. DARWIN GOOD AT PLAYING WITH THE BALL."

"I'm sure you are; I'll see you all later." Even with that short visit, Nathan felt much better for seeing Darwin back to his old self.

The Bridger family that was staying on land said fond farewells to the crew of _seaQuest_.

Cara had promised Kristin that she would start to think about arrangements for the wedding and would contact people to find prices, and what they could do. Kristin would have liked to get more involved, but she trusted Cara and also thought it would be a good idea to give Cara something to work on.

"I don't want a huge celebration…." started Kristin.

"But you want it to be special…" continued Cara.

"It's also dependent when Cynthia can get away, and trying to contact her is really hit and miss, depending where she is, and what she is doing."

Cara knew that Kristin's daughter often risked her life saving children from brutal regimes all over the world, and that Kristin was so proud of her, but wanted her to be at her wedding more than anything. Cara really liked Cynthia, and always saw so much of Kristin in her when they had met on the rare occasions Cynthia had managed to get away.

"So, Lucas, when are you taking Freya out and getting smoochy?" Piccolo asked with a grin on his face in front of all the people in the launch bay.

"I…I… thought…" started Lucas, trying not to give Piccolo the satisfaction of seeing him blush. It wasn't working.

"We are going out next week." Freya replied.

"You are?" said both Bridger brothers together; Nathan looking at Lucas and Michael looking at Freya.

Cara and Kristin both wanted to laugh out loud but gave each other a knowing look.

"Yes, we are," continued Freya, and she slipped her hand into Lucas's.

Both women gave their own Bridger brother a, 'not now' look, so nothing more was said.

Dagwood went over to Kit and knelt down so he was looking into her eyes, "I will miss you, Kit."

"I will miss you, Dagwood, but here is my book about the Enchanted Forest. Tony can read it to you every night instead of me, won't you Tony?"

"Well…I'm kind of…" Piccolo began.

"Great! Thanks Tony!" And Kit went up to Piccolo and gave him a hug.

It was Lucas's turn to smile at Piccolo and have the last laugh as he and the rest of the family boarded the launch to take them back to land.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N Life, the Universe and everything has been getting in the way – apologies. Thanks for waiting. Yet again, thanks to darkin520 – two stories on the go and betaing at the same time – wow!**

Chapter 37

The next day, Cara began to get used to her new home. It was large and had every modern gadget possible in the kitchen. A couple of times, some of the equipment had started on its own and had made her jump. How pleased she was that no one was watching her! The house overlooked the ocean and seemed to be just perfect – once she had worked out where all the rooms were.

She wanted Kit and Freya to return to school and requested to meet the head teacher – (she must remember to call her Principal) to discuss a phased return. Freya would wait until all the bruising was gone from her face, as Cara did not want Freya to have to answer questions about what had happened. However, Kit needed to return to normalcy and have some sort of order put back into her life as soon as she could.

Another task was to make sure she made a set of appointments for Lucas and herself to see Dr. Palmer. She knew that she was feeling more confident about being on her own, but deep down inside, when she was feeling vulnerable, it still wasn't Michael she wanted to turn to first – it was Lucas. Their shared experience whilst with Lawrence Wolenczak had forged a bond between them that few people could understand. She wasn't really sure that Michael still understood how she relied on Lucas. For several months, Lucas had literally been all that stopped her from giving up on life; he had encouraged her to carry on and picked her up when she was down. He had been her physical and mental strength during the dreadful abuse they had suffered. As Cara was thinking this through, she was holding on to the side of one of the kitchen units, her knuckles white with strain and her stomach churning at the memory of the dark days with Lawrence Wolenczak and Edward Curtis. She still didn't know how she survived. She sometimes touched her back where the brand was still burned into her skin, just to remind herself it wasn't a dreadful nightmare, but a stark fact. She surprised herself as she had almost compartmentalised the fact that she had been forced to have sex. That part of her ordeal seemed to be the one easiest to commit to a memory box that she could disassociate herself from. It was as though she had been an actor taking part in a series of events, and so it wasn't the real her. It had been so far removed from her ordinary, every day life that sometimes she thought she must have imagined it because it had been so horrendous. She only hoped that Lucas could do the same. He was so young and had such a wonderful future ahead of him with his brilliant mind. She fleetingly wondered if Freya and Lucas would actually become a couple. It was in its early stages, and they were really just romantically friendly, but she felt that they had chemistry between them, which may develop in the years to come. Who knows what the future would bring?

Michael was doing some consultancy work for the UEO based at New Cape Quest, and so he would be local. Cara spent the first day phoning up to make appointments. Dr. Palmer's first appointment with them was going to be in a couple of day's time, and she was going to see the girls' principal the next day. The rest of the time was spent trying to find where Cynthia Westphalen was working, which was not the easiest task Cara had ever undertaken. She had not seen much of Lucas and the girls as they were glued to some sort of computer game which involved a great deal of noise, excited shouts, and the minimal amount of arguing between her daughters. Life was just creeping back to normalcy, although deep down, she still had an irrational fear that she and Lucas were going to be taken again. And every time there was an unfamiliar noise, she felt her heat rate quicken. This must be the first concern she shared with Dr. Palmer.

Cara had made sandwiches for the trio of gamers and for herself. She stayed in the room for a while, watching the game and making very little sense of it. Lucas was particularly getting carried away, and she smiled to herself, watching him role play a hero, whose soul occupation seemed to be breaking down doors and shooting everything in front of him. He was totally engrossed and looked like a normal teenager partaking in a hobby that thousands of other teenagers shared. He looked so young, carefree, and happy. She really hoped that he could feel like that when he returned to the real world.

She enjoyed cooking the evening meal and was in her element setting the table. Whoever had kitted out all the kitchenware had a wonderful sense of style. Cara had a suspicion it was Kristin. In her own home, she didn't really have a set of anything as sixteen years of marriage, two children, and her own clumsiness made sure that now, most of her own kitchenware was a mixture of styles, colours, and cups with, 'Mummy,' and 'Best Teacher Ever,' written across them. She sighed happily. Yes, she was in her element.

When Michael came home, the five of them ate as a family.

Freya suggested that the trio clear away, much to Kit's disgust, who only complied with the promise of a return to the game, and it was her turn to wreak havoc. Kit agreed, and Michael and Cara were left on their own.

"I can't remember the last time you cooked for me and had it ready when I got home from work," smiled Michael.

At home, in England, which seemed a lifetime ago, Michael usually walked into chaos when he finished work. Travelling to sports' venues, homework, arguments, or a houseful of children was what usually faced him. Cara could be in the kitchen, dressed up as a witch, tied to the sofa, painting with Kit, marking books, or up in the tree house. A broken appliance was usually thrust into his hands and shouts of, "It's not fair," "It wasn't my fault," or, "And me!" were not long in assaulting his ears.

In this quiet, clean, ordered house, the bedlam he called home seemed far away. God, he would give anything to be back there again now and not to have gone through the last months, not knowing if he would ever seen Cara again.

She was looking at a magazine to see if she could find the number of a company that rented out fancy dress costumes. Michael took a long look at his wife. She was still thinner than he remembered, and the sparkle she had had seemed dim. She did smile, but not with her eyes. He couldn't really begin to understand what she had gone through when she had been taken. He knew it had changed her. He also couldn't really understand her relationship with Lucas. He knew if it were not for their closeness, he may have lost her. But Lucas was only a child himself. She had wanted Lucas to comfort her, and not him. It had broken his heart.

Nathan and Kristin had told him that it would take time, and he really hoped that this was the case. Michael was pinning a great deal of his hopes on Dr. Palmer. He wanted his wife back. He wanted his family to be back how they were, but he suspected would never really happen. The telepathic powers that both girls showed, especially Kit, had been incredible, and he knew that eventually, something would have to be done. As a father, Michael wanted to protect his daughters, and he hoped that their abilities would go unnoticed for as long as possible.

He was unfortunately wrong about that assumption.

Cara's voice broke his thoughts,

"Don't get comfy with the idea that I'm going to have your meal ready for you every evening. I've spent sixteen years avoiding that, and I'm not going to start now!" She didn't look up from the magazine, but Michael knew she was smiling.

The next day, Cara went to see the principal of the UEO School, who was very understanding and together, they agreed that Kit should start school the next week and also a phased schedule for Freya's return. The principal was very complimentary about the girls, about both their academic abilities and their social skills and manners. Although they had not been at the school very long, Cara was very grateful that the principal had taken time to get to know about them. It was Cara's first independent activity, and she was rather nervous. She did have a UEO driver and did feel comforted at the security measures the school had put into place since Lawrence Wolenczak had visited Kit.

Cara felt very positive when she returned home, and this was further reinforced by the fact that she managed to contact Cynthia. It was like talking to Kristin, as Cynthia still spoke with the same accent as her mother, and was delighted to be told that Kristin and Nathan were getting married. Cynthia gave Cara a list of dates that she would be available as well as the journey time from the mainland to the island. Cara and Cynthia decided on November 30th, which was two days after Kit's birthday. Friends would still be on Bridger Island after the fancy dress party, and everyone could help to get ready for the wedding. Cara and Cynthia spent some time chatting, and then Cynthia left as she had several calls to make.

Cara went to find Lucas, Freya, and Kit to tell them the good news. Kit was watching television.

"Does that mean we have to find a dress for me?" she asked.

"It would be good if you could wear one. We could have a look on the Internex for ideas and you could choose some styles, and we could send them to Kristin, Cynthia, and Katie to see what they think."

"O…K….but suppose I don't see anything I like?"

"Well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

Cara left to go and find Lucas and Freya. Freya was in her room reading, and Lucas was in his room, sitting at his laptop. Both were very pleased that a date had been set and that Cynthia was able to attend. Letting the bride know was the next job, and Cara called Kristin, who was delighted. "That's wonderful news; I'm so pleased you were able to arrange a date with Cynthia. Are you alright doing all the organising?"

"Of course; I want to keep busy, and I'm really looking forward to it. When will Nathan ask Lucas to be best man?"

"I think today or tomorrow, depending on his schedule, now that we have a definite date."

"He will be _so_ pleased, as I'm sure he thinks that Michael will be best man."

"And you are sure Michael doesn't mind?"

"No. Remember, he and Nathan have already discussed it, and they both think it is a very good idea."

Kristin and Cara then talked in detail about catering arrangements and dresses, and what Kristin was going to wear. The call ended with Kristin saying that she would be in touch again when she and Nathan had thought about the wedding service itself.

Cara couldn't believe how long she had been talking to Kristin.  
>"I'm starving – can I have something to eat now?" asked Kit.<p>

"Of course, I'd hate you to waste away," replied Cara. "Go and see if Lucas and Freya want something too."

When Michael returned home, he was really pleased to listen to the progress that Cara had made with the UEO School and contacting Cynthia. He loved seeing Cara so animated and so full of life. It was at these moments that he knew everything was going to be alright, and it would just take time for her to heal.

Lucas was listening to Cara tell Michael about the arrangements, and although he liked to see Cara so happy, he really wasn't very interested about wedding talk. He was going to suggest that he, Freya, and Kit resume their game when the Vid phone buzzed, and he went to answer it. It was his dad.

"Hey, Kiddo, how are you doing?" Nathan had a broad grin on his face. Lucas smiled back.

"Fine, it's been quiet here. We've just been catching up with, 'Warfare Between Worlds.'" Nathan vaguely recalled Lucas talking about this game before and knew Lucas loved playing it. "How did you do?"

"I kicked alien butt," reported Lucas proudly.

"Great…Lucas, I have a question to ask, and you can have a think about it."

Lucas's stomach clenched. He thought his dad was going to say that he shouldn't return to _seaQuest_ and do something at New Cape Quest. Nathan noticed Lucas's change in body language, "Lucas, I want you to be my best man at the wedding."

Lucas stared at him and tried to take in what his dad had just asked. It wasn't anything to do with not being on _seaQuest_.

"Lucas, are you alright?" asked Nathan.

"Did you just ask me to be your best man?"

"I sure did."

"What about Michael?"

"He's going to be the Master of Ceremonies – but I want you to be my best man."

Lucas stared straight at Nathan, and then, he began to smile, the widest smile ever.

"Yes, I would love to! Thanks, Dad; this means a great deal to me…are you really sure you want me to?"

"Lucas, you are my son. I love you, and I'm so proud of you. I couldn't consider anyone else being at my side."

"When we were in the hospital and Kristin asked Cara, Freya, and Kit to be bridesmaids, I was so pleased. I assumed that Michael would be your best man. I did think I would like to be, but I didn't really think that you would ask me. I can't wait to tell everyone. Thanks, Dad."

"You _are _my best man, Lucas. Remember that; I'll talk to you later and fill you in on how things are going during the patrol." With that, Nathan signed off.

Lucas went back into the dining room to tell everyone the news.

"Oh, Lucas, that's wonderful!" laughed Cara, trying not to show that she already knew, as she wanted it to be a surprise.

"Nathan made a good choice, Lucas. I'm really pleased for you." Michael patted Lucas on the back, gently, as he had not forgotten that it had only been a week since Lucas and Cara had returned from their second encounter with Wolenczak.

"You don't mind? Really?" Lucas asked.

"I was best man when Nathan married Carol. I'm happy to be in charge of all the toasts, he replied, looking at Lucas, "and not the one having to make the speech."

"Oh, crap, I forgot about that!"

The rest of the Bridgers laughed out loud as Lucas sat on the chair with a thump and put his head in his hands.

"Don't worry; we'll all help!" comforted Cara.

"Let's go out for a walk and call in to one of the quay side cafes and have a celebratory drink," suggested Michael.

This was greeted with great approval and the five of them got ready and spent the rest of the evening discussing possible topics Lucas could talk about at the wedding that would really embarrass Nathan.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N Have had some time so I managed to write Chapter 38 - thanks darkin520 for your work on this one, I will definitely have to work on my italics!**

Chapter 38

The doorbell rang, and as Cara opened the door to Dr. Palmer, mixed emotions zigzagged through her body; talking to him made her feel better, but sometimes his questions made her remember events that she had almost hidden in her mind.

Lucas too, when he heard the door bell chime, stiffened slightly, thinking the same thoughts as Cara. He thought Freya hadn't noticed, but she had. She held onto his hand, gave it a squeeze, and smiled at him. He smiled back and felt slightly more relaxed. They had been sitting at the table. Freya had some schoolwork she thought she should do before she went back to school, and Lucas was helping her. They both enjoyed being together; Lucas was patient when explaining a new concept, and Freya was bright, intelligent, and eager to learn. They had spent a couple of hours Kit-free, as Kit had been doing some activities with Cara and had left them alone. They had the age-old problem that faced most young couples – the younger sister who wants to be included in everything, and Kit was no exception. However, they had finally arranged to go to the cinema together, just the two of them. It was going to be that evening; Cara and Michael were going to take Kit to an adventure play area so Lucas and Freya could have some time on their own.

Cara had informed Michael of the trip.

"Is it a date?" asked Michael.

"Well, sort of."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I think it's a good idea; if they like each other, it's a natural progression."

"She's only just fourteen."

"I had my first date at fourteen."

"And Lucas is her cousin."

"Not by blood, by _circumstance_. And, he's so lovely."

"Yes, but…" Michael didn't really know how to put his feelings into words. But Cara knew all the reasons why he was uncomfortable.

"Michael, it is normal for a father to be worried over his daughter's first date, but you have the extra problem that the boy she likes spent months with her mother being abused physically and sexually by his father. You don't know what to think. You are worried about what will happen _on_ the date. You are worried about what will happen _after_ the date. You are worried that Lucas isn't the right person for Freya, and you are worried that Freya might fall for Lucas in a big way and not work hard at her studies."

Michael looked at her. "Wow, am I worried about _all_ that?"

"Yes."

He looked at her again. "Cara, you are right. I am worried about all those things, and I'm worried if I say no, then Freya will not forgive me."

"Michael, it would never come to that; we should let them go and cope with what happens. I have no problem with Freya going to the cinema with Lucas, and what will be will be. The trauma that Lucas and I went through will take some healing, but I think trying to lead a normal life will add to the healing for Lucas."

"Are you sure?"

"I know she's your little girl, and she always will be, but when Lucas and I were in that house and Freya was outside, I saw strength, resolve, and maturity beyond her fourteen years when she was on her own and then with us in the house facing Wolenczak. Remember, your little girl took down a sixteen-stone man, and she tied him up so well that it took _three_ UEO security guards to free him. And she faced up to Wolenczak."

"I know, but…"

"She has been trained by the_ deadliest_ force known to man – the Girl Guides - and she is a black belt in Tae kwon do. She will be _fine_!"

This last sentence made Michael laugh and lifted the tense situation that was developing. He loved Cara for her ability to do that, to make sense out of chaos and to reassure him when he was worried.

"So, Lucas, tonight is the big night?" asked Dr. Palmer. They were sitting in a small sitting room facing the ocean, and Lucas was staring out at the expanse of blue that was as still and calm as a sheet of ice, the sun glinting off it making star bursts.

"Well, if you mean that Freya and I are going to the cinema, yes, but it's no big deal."

"How are you feeling about it?"

"I'm looking forward to it. I like being with Freya, and it will be good to spend some time together."

"I have to ask, Lucas. Do you see Freya as a substitute for Cara?"

Lucas jumped up, "What! No! How can you think that?"

"Well, you and Cara shared an experience which made you incredibly close, and now you are back safe and sound. Cara has resumed her role as wife and mother and is no longer your partner. You shared everything. Lucas, you had _sex_ with Cara."

"I've thought about it until my head wants to burst," began Lucas, "I could not have survived at the hands of my father without Cara, and I know it was reciprocal for her. I drew comfort and strength from her. Yes, we were made to have sex. That part was totally against our wills, and at no time did I enjoy having sex with Cara nor did I want to _willingly_ have sex with her again. Every time it happened, it was under duress. I see Cara now, and the last thing on my mind is to have sex with her. I think of her as a wonderful person who protected me as much as she could and who would do the same if it happened again. She is like a mother to me, like Dr. Westphalen is. I don't see her as some sort of sex goddess."

Dr. Palmer smiled. He was so pleased at Lucas's response; it was better than he could have hoped, and he knew Lucas was telling the truth. Lucas's body language was relaxed, and his retinal response was not of someone telling lies or hiding the truth.

"How do you view Freya?"

"She's kick-ass!" replied Lucas with a broad grin on his face.

"Can you elucidate a little further?"

"Well, I've always liked her from the first time I saw her on _seaQuest_. I met Kit first and then Cara. The first time I saw Freya, there was no awkwardness between us; she was sitting with Dr. Westphalen, examining some algae samples, and I went over and asked if I could have a look. She looked up from the microscope with those big blue eyes, and we just clicked. We became friends. When we were on Bridger Island for her birthday, I realised that I really liked her more than a friend. I didn't know if she felt the same, but when we were dancing at the party and I held her closer, she put her head on my shoulder and said that she really liked being with me. And then… Cara and I were taken again, and Freya was involved that time. She was amazing. Now we are back, and there is some sort of normalcy, we are going to try again."

"Well, I really wish you the best of luck." And Dr. Palmer really meant it as he wanted Lucas to have some real good luck in his life. Looking at Lucas, a stranger would never imagine the abuse that he had suffered during his life. But now, with a new family, their continued support, and a romance blossoming with a very extraordinary girl, Lucas was heading for a happy life. With his own intellectual potential, Lucas could really go places and make a name for himself in whatever field in which he chose to specialise. Dr. Palmer still knew there was work to do, to help Lucas along his road to recovery. There were still events and their consequences that needed to be looked at and dealt with, but Lucas was on the right path, and the darkness that Dr. Palmer had seen in Lucas when they had first met was slowly fading.

Cara sat, quietly looking at Dr. Palmer.

"Is there anything you want to ask?" He picked up that she needed to start this session.

"I can't get it out of my mind that Lawrence Wolenczak is going to take us again," she blurted out. Her words came in a cascade of worry tumbling from her lips.

"That's not going to happen," Dr. Palmer assured her.

"I know, but … every time the door chimes ring or someone comes up behind me or I see an unfamiliar shadow… I think it's him."

Dr. Palmer sat and looked at her. "Would you like to visit him?"

Cara stared at the psychologist. "You mean, go and see Lawrence Wolenczak in hospital?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"It might help you to realise that you are finally safe, and may make it easier for you to move on."

"You mean, if I can get over this hurdle, I may be able to start tackling other problems that are being masked because of my obsession with this one?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Lucas should come as well?"

"I don't think Lucas has had the same reaction as you. He seems to know that his father is no longer a threat. He appears to have closure."

"So you don't think going to see his father would be a good idea for him?"

"Not at the present time."

"Will _you _come with me?"

"Of course, Cara, I wouldn't think of you going on your own."

She smiled, "Thank you. Should we tell Lucas?"

"I think this should just between the two of us at the moment. I'll see if I can arrange a visit as soon as possible, so you won't have time to worry about it."

"I think we should tell Lucas," she replied.

"Why?"

"I have not lied to Lucas about anything to do with his father, and I wouldn't be happy keeping anything from him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I want to tell him."

"Alright, Cara, that is between you and Lucas. I think the best thing that I can do is go back to my office and make some calls to arrange a visit, and I shall be in contact as soon as I have a definite date and time."

A little while later, Cara and Lucas were together as Freya had taken Kit cycling around the block. She made them both a drink, and they sat on the sofa.

"How did your session with Dr. Palmer go?" she asked.

"Fine, he thinks that taking Freya to the cinema is a good idea, and I think I've convinced him that she isn't a substitute for you."

Cara was quite taken aback that Dr. Palmer had thought that as it had never crossed her mind. She loved how Lucas could be so open with her.

"I know that, Lucas." And no more needed to be said between them.

"What about your session?"

Cara explained to Lucas how she had been feeling and how she was worried that they were going to be taken again. She told him that she was going to see his father in hospital.

"Do you want to come too?" she asked.

"Not particularly, Cara, I know that he can't harm us now. I can't explain it, but I don't need to see him. I think that if it's what you need, you should go. Do you want me to come with you, for support?"

"Dr. Palmer said that he would come with me."

Lucas knew Cara too well, and he knew she was avoiding the question.

"Cara, that's not what I asked; do you want me to come with you?"

"Yes." And as she replied, she burst into tears.

Lucas moved over to her and put his arm around her, "Of course I'll come. You know I will."

"Thank you," she managed to say through sobs, "I don't think I could do it without you there. But when you said you didn't need to see him, I didn't want to put you under pressure."

"Cara, of course I'll be with you. There is no problem. When Dr. Palmer rings, tell him we're _both_ going." He wiped the tears from her face and added, "We'll face Lawrence Wolenczak together."


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N Apologies that the chapters are now not as frequent, but I shall try to get another couple up soon as this is England half-term week - yay for teachers. And yet again thanks to darkin520 for giving this chapter the once over!**

Chapter 39

Finally, Lucas found himself hand in hand with Freya, walking towards the multiplex cinema in New Cape Quest.

They had left the house after Cara, Michael, and Kit and had been dropped off by a UEO security guard.

The teenagers watched the film – a mixture between magic, adventure, and romance. Neither of them could decide so had opted for the one which offered a variety of genres. During the film, Freya had been engrossed but still turned and smiled at Lucas when he eventually put his arm round her; it had taken him thirty minutes to pluck up the courage, and the security guard – who was sitting at a discrete distance - punched the air, much to the surprise of the woman sitting next to him! To Lucas it felt just right. It didn't seem strange at all. For Freya, she couldn't help smiling and could feel her heart racing. She was really happy too.

After the credits, they decided to have something to eat and explained their decision to the security guard. He said that he could be contacted on the emergency number if they needed help or were worried about someone or something they came across. He said that he would leave them alone, but they both knew that he would be trailing them at some distance, just to make sure they were O.K.

Although it was early October, it was still warm, and so, they sat outside the café watching the ocean. Lucas held onto Freya's hand.

"I can't believe it's just us, at last," he remarked.

"Well, apart from the discretely hidden security guard," she replied.

"Yes, but we can just _pretend_ it's only you and me."

"Yes, we can." And she leaned towards him and brushed her lips across his and continued, "We can even pretend that we are a normal couple with no dangerous past to think about."

"Do you think about it?"

"Yes, I worry that we could have lost you and Mum and that you would never have gotten away from your father." Freya was whispering.

"But we did and here we are!" Lucas was trying to lighten the conversation.

"It made me realise how much I would have missed you - I'm not thinking about Mum now. I couldn't contemplate life with out her – but it was at that time that I understood _you_ meant more to me than a surrogate cousin. I had begun to think that you and I …" She paused here, not wanting to sound pathetic, but trying to find the right words. "…that you and I should … go out together." She looked at him, hoping that she didn't sound as uncomfortable as she felt, speaking to Lucas like this.

Lucas leaned over the table and returned the kiss.

"I know how you felt. I had begun to feel the same way too, and now being together seems just so right."

With the air having been cleared and feelings being shared, they ate their meal amidst amiable conversation, Freya laughing at Lucas's jokes and recounts of life on _seaQuest_ with Tony Piccolo. They also had an ice-cream eating competition which Freya won. After the meal, they walked hand in hand back to the house, both feeling slightly sick after eating so much ice-cream, with the security guard following at a respectful distance, smiling to himself at the sight of the teenagers hand in hand enjoying each other's company.

When they arrived home, Michael and Cara were on the sofa listening to music.

Lucas and Freya sat opposite them. Lucas was trying to decide whether to put his arm around Freya or sit away from her or hold her hand. He loved Michael, but he was now seeing him as the very protective father of a fourteen-year old and not as a benevolent uncle. Freya took the matter in hand – literally – by holding Lucas's hand. Michael did not react or pass comment and continued smiling at them. Lucas was _so_ relieved.

"Did you have a good time?" asked Cara.

"It was brilliant, thanks, Mum; the film was really enjoyable. You and Dad should go and see it, and we'll look after Kit."

Cara grinned, "I'd like that, as your dad has been threatening to take me to the cinema."

"Did you see the security guard?" asked Michael, keen to know that his daughter had been kept safe during the time she was out."

"Yes," Lucas replied. "We caught up several times during the evening."

"Good," relaxed Michael.

"Come on, Michael, let's go upstairs. You look quite tired, and you could do with an early night, especially as you spent part of the evening charging after Kit on all the play equipment." She then turned to Lucas and Freya. "You know how competitive he is."

Freya laughed. Yes, her dad was really competitive and wouldn't let Kit win without a fight. Lucas was still amazed that dads did that, and a little part of him felt sad and envious of Kit for having such a caring father as she was growing up. He had never experienced anything like that; the only time his father ever chased him was in anger, and it always ended up with Lucas being hurt.

Michael got up without an argument. He was tired: it was the last rope ladder and zip wire that had done it for him. Kit had fallen asleep in the car on the way back, and he had carried her into the house, up to her room, and put her to bed. She had never woken once. By the time he had got down the stairs, Cara had a glass of wine and some cheese and biscuits ready for him. They had spent the rest of the evening, until Lucas and Freya came back on the sofa, together listening to music. They had chatted, and it had been wonderful, like being on holiday. In England during term time, there was very little time in the evenings for Michael and Cara to be together as it was homework or sports activities for the girls or Cara marking and planning school work. Cara had received letters from the children that she had in her class the previous year saying how they missed her, and several members of staff had been leaving messages on the Internex for her telling her what they had been up to. She had received a huge bouquet of flowers and cards from the school when she was in hospital with good wishes and pictures from all the children. Michael had kept the head teacher informed all the time that Cara had been missing. The governors of the school had agreed that Cara could take a sabbatical year and return to school the following academic year. The UEO had also come to an arrangement with Michael's company so that there was no problem about Michael being away from work.

After Michael and Cara had gone up the stairs, Lucas and Freya sat on the sofa with Freya nestling in Lucas's arms. They chatted about anything and everything, enjoying being with each other.

In their bedroom, sleep was eluding Cara. She was happy that Lucas and Freya had had a good time, and that Kit, Michael, and herself had had such a brilliant time at the adventure park. The sight of Michael coming down on the zip wire and trying to land sensibly and failing miserably had made her laugh, and she had photographic evidence which she was going to send to Nathan. She was tired and looked over to Michael who was sleeping in the bed next to hers. Cara still found it really hard to have him snuggle up to her in the night. "Be patient," Dr. Palmer had told her. "It will happen in time; you don't have to rush." Michael was so kind. He had suggested a second bed in their room so that they could be together as much as she wanted. It was when she woke up and saw a man next to her, she panicked and thought it was Edward Curtis. Sometimes, she would get into bed with Michael, and he would put his arm round her, and he would stroke her hair. She loved that, but at some time during the night, she would get into the other bed, just to be safe, safe from what she didn't know as Michael was the person she knew would protect her more than anyone. Except for Lucas – he would protect her too, but she knew she had to let him go and not rely on him so much so that he could start to live his own life. It would be very hard for her; however, she was determined to work to achieve it – for the sake of her marriage and relationship with Michael and also for the chance that Lucas had to form a new relationship with someone closer to his own age. She knew she would get there in the end. Curtis and Wolenczak had such a lot to answer for; she closed her eyes as she felt tears forming in them.

How would she feel visiting Lawrence Wolenczak? – She didn't know, but she hoped that it would give her closure and stop her worrying that he was going to take her again. Cara really wanted to move forward; she wanted to be with Michael. Sometimes, she wanted him to make love to her, but then, the fear would come over her. For so long, sex had meant violence, power, and lust. It had meant being degraded, and her body was sold to anyone who paid enough. It had meant beatings and pain. The very worst thing of all was that she couldn't yet remember that sex could be the act of making love. She did love Michael with all her heart, but because of the treatment she had received from Wolenczak and Curtis, she couldn't share her body with him just now. She got out of her bed and crept into Michael's, listening to the regular breathing coming from him. She put her hand on his chest and watched the slight rise and fall. She did feel some comfort and started to feel sleep taking over her mind and body.

Michael woke up with Cara next to him. It was the first time that he could remember that happening for a very long time. He loved it, but didn't want to spoil the moment, so he crept out of bed and went to the kitchen to start making breakfast for himself, and of course, as if by magic, Kit appeared.

"Can I have some too?"

"Of course, what would you like?"

"Can I have toast and jam and orange juice, please?"

"Of course you can."

"Are you going to work today?"

"Yes, we are beginning a new project to improve the mag-Lev on _seaQuest_."

"Can you put in the Internex and a film projector and a sweet bar and …"

"No, Kit, it's trying to make the mag-Lev more energy efficient by channelling off the energy produced and using it to power a generator to cool the engines." Michael was getting very animated when he was talking as he was really looking forward to the challenge, but Kit, being eight, was very unimpressed.

"Boring; you need a sweet dispenser in there, which would be much better."

"So what are you going to do today?" asked Michael.

"Well, it depends on if Mummy and Lucas are going to see the man. If they are, then Freya and I are going to go with Matt and Rich to the play area and then have some lunch and ice-cream – Rich likes strawberry cream best and …"

"Who are Rich and Matt?" interrupted Michael, alarmed that he didn't know these people, who were going to be spending time with his daughters."

"Silly, Daddy, don't worry; they are the UEO security guards." Michael realised that Kit had picked up his concern.

"Oh, alright then, so what do you think about Mummy going to see Lawrence Wolenczak?" Was he really asking his younger daughter's opinion – should he? Yes, he should as she had been involved in Cara and Lucas's kidnapping and had been intouch with Wolenczak as well.

"Yes," she said simply, "Can I have my toast now?"

"That's it? Yes? Do you have any reasons?" Michael kept forgetting Kit was only eight.

"While you're making my toast, I'll tell you."

Michael nodded and went over to cut some bread.

"The man really hurt Mummy and Lucas, and Mummy was worried about Lucas. Then, when they were taken a second time, Mummy had to worry about Freya as well as Lucas. The man also hurt Mummy a great deal, and she wants to make sure that he will not take her a third time because she wants to get back to normal, and she wants to love you again like she did before. Can I have two pieces please?"

"Oh…what? Yes … of course you can." Michael was now not sure what to say to Kit as she had given a very comprehensive set of reasons of why Cara should see Wolenczak and hearing his daughter say 'love' and himself in the same sentence made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"What do you think, Daddy? The jam is in the fridge."

"Thank you – I think if it makes her feel better, she should go. After all, Dr. Palmer seems to think it is a good idea."

"You know, Mummy is feeling a bit better. I think that she will be OK. And Lucas is feeling better too; he is really happy with Freya. The toaster has popped up."

Michael was not like Cara; he had to process what Kit was telling him and how she slipped from being an incredibly sensitive telepath to being a little girl who wanted her breakfast.

"You can tell if Mummy is happier? How?"

"I _just_ sense it when I am around her, and she is _very_ happy about Lucas and Freya being smoochy."

Michael turned around to Kit in a slight panic – what did smoochy mean? He worried.

"It's O.K., Daddy, Mummy knows they kissed."

'Just kissing, O.K.,' Michael thought to himself, 'Calm down; Freya is sensible; concentrate on_ toast_.'

Finally, they sat down together and had a very tasty breakfast. Fatherhood, decided Michael, was an emotional roller coaster. He could cope with burst pipes, paying bills, and putting plasters on skinned knees, but when it came to managing his daughters' growing up, he was so pleased he was married to Cara.

"I'm going to take Mummy a cup of tea,, and then, I'm going to work. Will you be O.K.?"

"Oh, yes, I've got lots to do," beamed Kit.

Cara was still asleep when Michael went back into the bedroom, so he did not wake her up. His family was a great believer in sleep being a good healer. Besides, he did not want to wake her, and she not know who he was for a moment and had that look of fear on her face, which destroyed him. Michael scribbled a quick sticky note and put it on the cup and left for work, once again checking that Kit would be alright.

No sooner than Chris Palmer rung Cara's house phone, it was answered.

"Hello, Dr. Palmer, it's Kit here."

"How did you know I was going to ring? You must have answered the phone as soon as I dialed."

"Well, it's really quiet here so there was nothing to distract me from knowing you were going to ring."

Chris Palmer had heard about Kit's abilities from Lucas and Cara, but had never really experienced it for himself; he was truly overwhelmed by her natural ability. He also knew that Cara was fiercely protective of her daughter and did not want Kit's ability made known to anyone at the UEO or anywhere else, and he would respect Cara's wishes.

"Is your Mom there?"

"Sorry, she is still sleeping, and she's my _mummy_, not my mom."

"Sorry to you, Kit; I shall try and remember that. What about Lucas?"

"He's sleeping too; he and Freya went to the cinema last night, and they stayed up late talking, so he will be very tired. Do you want to tell me a message, or can I get them to give you a call when they wake up? Oh, is it about visiting the man in hospital? Daddy and I were talking about it at breakfast when he was making my toast, and we both think it's a good thing."

Chris Palmer took in what Kit was saying and asking, and then, processed it.

"Yes, it is about visiting Lawrence Wolenczak, and yes they can call later on today. I will arrange it as soon as I hear from them. Thanks, Kit. Bye."

"Bye, Dr. Palmer." And with that, she put the phone down.

Chris Palmer sat for a moment, thinking about the conversation he had just had with Kit. She was a really powerful telepath. He wondered what was the extent of her power? It would be fascinating to find out.

Kit plodded around the house. She switched on the vid-screen and called MedBay on _seaQuest;_ it only took a few moments for Kristin to answer.

"Hello, Aunty Kristin."

"Kit, how lovely to hear from you!"

"Can we talk because Daddy is at work, and everyone else is asleep? Are you busy?"

"No, sweetheart, it's quite quiet here at the moment. What have you been doing?

Kit proceeded to tell Kristin about what they had been doing and the house and her trip to the adventure park with her parents and Lucas and Freya's date. Her childish ramblings and explanations of events seen from her point of view made Kristin laugh to herself, although outwardly, Kristin made all the right noises and responses. Kit finally told Kristin about the planned visit to see Lawrence Wolenczak.

"So that's going to happen later on today?"

"Yes."

"Will you ask your mother to call me when she returns?"

"Will do – oh, look, here's Uncle Nathan!"

Kristin began to say that Nathan wasn't with her but at a meeting with the senior officers, but then, Nathan walked in.

"Hello, Uncle Nathan. I'm bored, so I called Aunty Kristin."

"Hello, Kiddo, what have you been up to?" Nathan was very pleased to see Kit.

Kit began to tell him about her conversation with Michael and the mag-Lev. She then proceeded to tell Nathan what her improvements would be, and Kristin could see Nathan shaking with silent laughter at the thought of the films and sweet dispenser in the lift.

"We'd never get the crew out of the lift, Kit, if we had your improvements; good, though, they are."

"Oh, well, perhaps you can think about it then. Oh, here's Mummy." Kit turned her head, "Mummy, Aunty Kristin and Uncle Nathan are on the vid-screen." Cara came into view, obviously having just woken up. She had the 'just got up' tousled hair, and she was wearing a baggy jogging top and bottoms. She did, however, look well, both Nathan and Kristin thought together, and as she came into view, a huge smile spread across her face.

"Hi, sorry, has Kit been keeping you from working? Unfit mother here, sleeping through."

"No, it's fine. Kit has been keeping me entertained about your visit to the adventure park."

"I have some really great pictures of Michael, Nathan, which you will love to see!"

"The more the merrier – send me the ammunition!"

They chatted for a little while longer until Kristin mentioned about the visit to Wolenczak and at the end of the talk. Cara promised she would let her know what happened.

Cara called Dr. Palmer back, and they arranged to see Lawrence Wolenczak at about 1500 hours. Dr. Palmer would pick them up in the car and take them to the secure hospital facility where Wolenczak was being kept.

For the next hour, Cara and Kit watched some cartoons and played several card games. Lucas wandered down and joined in. Cara told him about their meeting for that afternoon and said that she was feeling a little better about seeing Wolenczak on her own, but Lucas insisted that he wanted to come. Freya joined them soon after. They all had lunch together so that when Dr. Palmer arrived to collect Lucas and Cara, they were ready for him.

The hospital was only about an hour away, and very soon, they were walking behind Dr. Palmer, along corridors only accessible through secure doors which were opened through a code of numbers and letters which changed for each doorway. Finally, they were outside a door that read 'Wolenczak, L.'

Dr. Palmer, who had been very quiet throughout their journey, turned round to them. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Cara nodded, held tightly onto Lucas's hand, and pushed the door open.

She had dreamed about this, well rather, had nightmares about this moment. She had dreamed that Wolenczak had been waiting for them, facing her as she went in, and the door had slammed behind her, leaving Lucas on the other side and her to face Wolenczak on her own. She had dreamed that when they entered, he had been standing behind the door, and he had grabbed Lucas and was strangling him. She had dreamed that when she went over to him in the bed, he had opened his eyes and looked at her.

But, in reality, the room was quiet, apart from the gentle beeps the monitors made, and all she could see was a figure on the bed, linked up to several machines. She walked closer, holding onto Lucas's hand so tightly that the blood flow had almost ceased. She stopped by the side of the bed. There he was, eyes closed as though he was sleeping, looking so peaceful. He had a plaster on the left side of his head, where the bullet had penetrated the frontal lobe and then exited. He was still. She noticed that he was breathing on his own. She let go of Lucas's hand and put her hand on top of Lawrence Wolenczak's. There was no reaction.

This man had beaten her, raped her, sold her as a sex slave, given her to a dominatrix for training, made her use her skills to break into safes and steal money, treated her as a domestic servant, and had complete power over her. He had also treated Lucas the same way in front of her and would have done the same to her daughter, she knew, if they had not been rescued. He had threatened her family and had her husband shot. He had spoken to Kit and was planning to find out more about her telepathic and telekinetic abilities.

Looking at him, she almost couldn't believe that he was responsible for all that hurt.

"Why did you do it?" Her question lay unanswered.

Staying at the end of the bed, Lucas had seen what he wanted; his father was now incapable of making his life miserable. Finally, Lucas thought he could continue working on _seaQuest_ and see Freya and to be part of the Bridger family without having to wonder if his father would take him and prevent it from happening.

He watched Cara holding onto his father's hand and talking to him, although Lucas could not catch what she was saying.

"You nearly destroyed all that I love. You hurt your own child, and you became a monster. What drove you to do that? I am really pleased that you cannot hurt him now. He is starting a new life as Lucas Bridger. The sadness you have made will mean that he will only be able to associate the Wolenczak name with pain and anger. I do not understand why you treated your own son as though he was worthless. And then, you wanted to start to control my daughters. What man does that? Are you a monster? I hope you can hear me because I want you to know that I will never, ever let you do that again. I am not a violent woman, but let me make it clear to you that if you threaten my family again, I will stop you with whatever means I can, and I shall show no mercy to you." She bent down closer to him. "Remember what I say to you because it is my solemn promise."

Suddenly, Cara felt a weight lift from her. The dread, fear, and anticipation that had coursed through her body since she had first seen Wolenczak in the camper van began to subside, and a feeling of resolution and finality began to take their place.

She needed to have seen him and see that he was no threat. She needed to tell him exactly how she felt and what would happen if the unexpected happened, and he came after them again. She was absolutely certain that she would fulfil her promise to him, and this empowered her and not him. She would protect her family.

Lucas actually sensed the change in her. It was so strong that he, too, felt a sense of release, and he smiled.

Cara looked at him, "Come on, let's go home to the family." She put her arm around him and kissed his cheek. He put his arm around her and they left.

As the door closed behind them, Lawrence Wolenczak's eyes blinked open and then closed, and if anyone was monitoring his brain waves at that precise moment, they would have noticed an increase in activity for a second or two before it returned to normal.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N Thanks to the lightning fingers of darkin520 here's another chapter**

Chapter 40

"Kristin, should I ask her how it went, or should I wait until she tells me? Suppose she doesn't say… should _I _say something? Will she think I don't care if I don't say anything?"

Kristin looked at her brother-in-law to be and saw so much of Nathan in him. He was standing in his office, shifting from one foot to the next, like a little boy waiting for something. It could have been Nathan Bridger looking into her eyes.

"Michael, I think you are worrying unnecessarily. I am sure Cara will tell you how things went, and if it is not immediate, then she will tell you in her own time. She has taken a major step towards facing her demons, and you should be very proud of her."

"I am; I _really _am. It's just that she asked Lucas to go with her …"

"And not you?"

"Yes," Michael admitted, looking at Kristin. She knew he was hurting.

"You know why she asked Lucas, don't you?"

"I think so, but I would like to hear it from someone I respect and trust."

Kristin was momentarily taken back. Michael had never really spent much time with her and with everything that had been going on in their lives, they had never really sat down and had a chat, except for Freya's birthday, in amiable circumstances. She was touched by his admission and so was determined to help as much as she could.

"I think it is that she went through the nightmare _with _Lucas. They became very close because they literally kept each other _alive_: the bond they share is a very strong one. When you share such an experience with someone, you need to have that person with you so that you can have closure on the experience. I think she is trying to show Lucas, _and_ you, that she wants to move on. You will see that she will shift the onus of protector onto you more and more and release Lucas to move forward in his own life soon enough."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, Michael, I do."

"Kristin, if you were here, I would hug you." Michael said to the Vid screen, "I thought it was that, but Cara did not say anything to me. She still seems to be able to talk to Lucas about anything with such ease."

"Michael, they both went through a traumatic experience and had only each other. What they went through together meant they had no secrets from each other, and they had to rely on themselves to get through each day. They talked about anything and everything including …" She paused and looked at Michael, hoping she wouldn't hurt him, "… the _sexual _part of their captivity. More than anything else, Cara seems to have been able to reconcile herself with that part of the horror they went through. I know it has been so difficult for you, Michael, but you are doing so well, and you must see that gradually, you are getting your wife back. She is slowly returning to her old self."

Michael nodded, remembering their trip to the adventure playground and Cara's time on the swings and slide and roundabouts. She wouldn't go on the zip wire or climb over the rope ladders – as she hated heights, but yes, she was more like her old self.

"Kristin…thank you," he said simply.

"Michael, anytime you need to talk, you just contact me, and if I can, I'll help you."

"Love you, Kris." It was the first time Michael had shown any real affection for her, and what's more, she knew that it was genuine.

"And I love you too, Michael and want you to be happy."

"What's this I hear? Romantic talk between my little brother and my fiancée? Must we have pistols at dawn, younger brother?" Nathan walked over and put his arms around Kristin.

"Kristin is just being wonderful, Nathan, I can't think why she's going to marry such a plonker like you!"

"Watch it, kiddo, or I'll put your zip wire event on the bridge screen on _seaQuest_!"

"How did you get that?"

"Ask your wife!" laughed Nathan.

"You are right, Kristin; she _is_ getting back to normal. Talk to you soon!"

And with that, Michael ended the connection.

Nathan looked at Kristin.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Michael was just worried about the outcome of Cara and Lucas' going to see Lawrence Wolenczak."

"Do you think it will be alright?"

"I think it is the best idea she has had, and I am sure it will give her some closure on the horrendous events she and Lucas endured whilst with him and Edward Curtis."

When Michael returned home, Cara and Lucas were already in the kitchen having a drink of tea. Cara had slowly worn Lucas down into trying it when they were in the hospital for the first time, and he was now quite fond of tea. He had stopped talking in an English accent whenever he drank it, however, although it still made Cara laugh to remember how it used to annoy the nurses after the fifteenth time he did it.

Cara read Michael's face as soon as he walked in, and she went over and kissed him.

"It was fine, Michael; I saw him and told him what I thought and what I would do if he ever came near my family again. It had helped me. I feel a huge weight has been lifted from my chest, and I am so glad we went."

Michael held her close. He then turned to Lucas and beckoned him to come and join them. He put both arms on Lucas's shoulders,

"I've not really said this before, but I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you protected Cara when she was taken with you."

Lucas went to reply, but Michael continued, "Hear me out; I have found it _very _hard to step back and let you be Cara's comforter and protector, but that doesn't mean to say that I do not appreciate what you have done for her. The time you were together, you kept her as safe as you could under impossible circumstances, and you brought her back to me. You have been and will continue to be part of her healing process, and for that, I am eternally thankful to you and I will always be in your debt. And I am very pleased you are part of this family …and…" Here, Michael even surprised himself. "…I am also pleased that you and Freya seem to be going out together…I just thought I'd add that because I want you to know I think it's O.K."

Cara and Lucas were stunned at Michael's openness and ability to express his feelings so fluidly and especially to Lucas.

"Do we need a group hug?" asked Lucas.

Michael looked at him and replied, "A small one, and my brother hears nothing of this! Especially as he seems to have received incriminating evidence of me on a zip-wire!"

"Oops!" Cara put her hand over her mouth.

They all laughed, hugged, and Cara offered to make Michael a drink.

"Oh, God, yes!" he sighed, "I really think that I have earned it!"

"Too true, darling," replied Cara.

Michael smiled to himself; it had been months since she had said that. Cara always used to use endearments to people. It made Lucas and Michael laugh when she called Jonathan, 'sweetie,' when they were talking. Neither Lucas nor Michael had ever envisaged Commander Ford as a 'sweetie', but Cara had changed their minds, and Lucas had received the 'Ford Frown' during one of their poker sessions when he had also used the endearment. Piccolo, Tim, Ben, and Miguel all loved being called, 'darling' or, 'sweetheart' by Mrs Bridger with her English accent. It took Dagwood a longer time to get used to it as he thought that Cara had forgotten his name, so Kit had to explain to him that it was nice to be called 'sweetie-pie' by her mum.

When Freya and Kit returned from the outing with Rich and Matt, they found Cara, Michael, and Lucas laughing and joking in the kitchen.

"I'm so pleased it went well," beamed Freya.

"We sort of listened in," added Kit, "so we know you feel a lot better now, Mummy, and that Lucas does too."

"We wouldn't normally, but we were both worried about you and had to know how everything went."

"What did you do?" asked Lucas, intrigued to know how the girls, 'listened in.'

When we hold hands and concentrate, we seem to be able to boost our ability to track people. We both thought of Mum. She's really easy to trace, as we can pick up her …thoughts quite easily. When we had found her, we just sort of concentrated and could hear what she was saying. I could only hear, but Kit could also _see_ what was going on if she closed her eyes."

"So you know what I said to Lawrence"

"Yes," they both replied.

Cara turned to Kit. "Do you know if he was listening or understood what I was saying?"

Kit looked at Cara.

"You can tell me, Kit, I would like to know."

"Yes, he did hear you."

"Did he say anything?"

The atmosphere had now turned from relaxed to tense.

"Yes," said Kit, "He said one word."

Lucas's stomach gave a heave, and he had to sit down. Freya immediately went over and sat down and held his hand.

"What was it, Kit?" Cara almost whispered.

"Trapped," came the reply.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N Apologies for the delay as I had toncilitis and thanks to dark520 for her grammatical whizz yet again.**

Chapter 41

Everyone was quiet for a while, and then, Michael broke the silence. "Come on; let's go to the pizza café for a very unhealthy meal."

"Brilliant!" agreed Cara, and she and Kit went to get ready. Michael went outside to remove some files from the car so that everyone could sit down.

Freya was still holding Lucas's hand.

"You thought that the word your father was going to say was, 'Lucas,' didn't you?" she asked gently.

"Yes," he replied, almost in a whisper, "or revenge or something threatening…I didn't think I would be able to stand it if he was thinking of hurting us all again."

"No, he wasn't thinking of that, he was almost…" She hesitated slightly since she didn't know if she should speak to Lucas about his father, but he did deserve to know the truth. She continued. "...as though he was confused and didn't understand what was happening to him."

"Was he upset?"

"Not really, just sort of questioning what had happened to him."

Lucas was quiet for a while, and then he turned to her, "Do you think you could tell him what was happening to him?"

"I don't know. I think Kit could, but I could if she helps me, I may be able to explain it so he understands more. Would you want me to do that?"

"Yes."

"After all that he did to you?"

"He's my father, and although I spent most of my life living in fear of him, I don't want to be like him and not care."

Freya knew where Lucas was coming from. If it was left up to her, she would leave Lawrence Wolenczak to rot. He was incredibly cruel to her mother and caused their family to be split up, but she also wanted to do what was best for Lucas and didn't want him to be upset. She loved how, despite all the pain and fear Wolenczak had put Lucas through, he was still willing to help his father.

"I'll talk to Kit later, and we'll see what we can do."

"Come on, I'm starving!" badgered Kit.

"You only ate ice-cream an hour ago!" commented an amazed Freya.

"So?"

"You have hollow legs."

"And you have a hollow head," retorted the younger sibling.

"Do you want to stay in the car?" asked Michael, walking into the conversation.

Kit scowled.

"Apologise to your sister."

Kit scowled even more.

"One … two…"

"S…o…r…r…y… now can we eat?"

"Katrina…"began Michael

"It's O.K., Dad," soothed Freya, "It's as much as I'm going to get, and I _did _say she had hollow legs."

"Right – finished then – let's go."

The pizza visit was a great success, and everyone returned home in good spirits.

Michael suggested a film and Cara made drinks. Freya and Lucas let Kit choose as they wanted her to be in a good mood when they asked her to help them later on.

After the film, Freya told her mum and dad to have a rest, and she would take Kit to bed.

When they were in Kit's room, Kit turned to Freya, "Why are you anxious?"

"I want you to help me do something for Lucas."

"About his bad father?"

"Yes." Freya didn't care what Kit called Wolenczak; the sooner they did it, the sooner they could forget him.

"I talked to Mummy, and although she's cross with the bad man, she did say that she also felt sorry for him and wondered how we could tell him with what was going on. So, what do you want to do?"

"I want to talk to him, but I need you to help me. It won't take long, but I may not be able to manage it, so I may need you to talk to him; I'll tell you what to say."

"OK, but on one condition."

"What?"

"I want you and Lucas to come to my party as Tinker Bell and Peter Pan."

Freya stared at Kit, "You horror; I don't do fairies, and I am _sure_ Lucas doesn't do tights."

Kit smiled.

Freya reluctantly agreed, "We'll wait till Mum and Dad have gone to sleep; then, we'll come in. See you later, toe-rag."

"Not tights," moaned Lucas, "_anything_ but tights. Piccolo will never, ever let me forget it."

"You see if you can persuade her," offered Freya. "She seems to listen to you more than me."

They waited until they knew Michael and Cara were in their room, and there was no sound. Stealthily, they went to Kit's room and woke her up.

"Right, what should we do?" whispered Lucas.

"Sit on the bed and hold each other's hands; then, I can find the man, and you can talk to him."

"OK," said a sceptical Lucas, but as soon as he touched hands with Kit, he could feel himself being transported back to the hospital room where his father was. Freya and Kit were next to him. Lawrence Wolenczak was lying in the same position, attached to monitors, silent and still.

"See if you can speak to him," said Kit.

"What do you mean?" asked Freya.

"I don't know; say his name and see if he hears you," replied Kit.

Freya went to the side of the bed, "Mr. Wolenczak, can you hear me?"

Nothing.

Kit went over and held her hand, "Try it now," she offered.

Freya tried again, but there was no response.

Kit spoke, "Mr. Wolenczak, do you hear me?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"This is Kit, and it's not my idea, but Lucas wants to tell you what happened to you, so you don't feel trapped."

"I understand."

Kit waited for Freya to tell her, and then repeated, "A bullet entered and exited your brain through the frontal lobe, and you are now in a coda. Sorry, _coma. _You are in the UEO hospital, secure section - because you are a bad man and hurt Lucas and my mummy - but Lucas didn't say that bit; _I_ did - and Freya says that she looked up the effect of the gunshot on your brain and that you can get better slowly if you let your brain heal for a long time. That's it. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to say anything else?"

"Tell Lucas I will remember. I will sleep now."

Kit turned to Lucas and Freya, "It's done, and he's asleep."

"Did he understand?" asked Lucas.

"Yes," replied Kit.

"Did ... he say anything else?"

Kit wasn't sure what Wolenczak meant, but felt it wasn't good, so she lied, "'Thank you,' and then he said he felt tired and went to sleep." Kit was pleased to see the smile on Lucas's face and didn't think that God would mind a little white lie to make someone happy.

Before Lucas knew what was happening, they were back on Kit's bed, and she was snuggling down to go to sleep. It had seemed like a dream, but at least his father knew.

As she was dropping off to sleep, she whispered. "Only joking about the tights," and fell asleep.

Lying in bed, facing the ceiling, Cara knew that the girls were going to do something to try and help Lucas explain to his father about his condition. She was very proud of them all; proud of Lucas by sticking by his principles of always trying to do the best for people, even though the person he had wanted to help spent time abusing him when he should have been protecting and guiding him. She was also proud of Freya for facilitating Lucas's wishes by talking to Kit. Cara knew Kit didn't like Wolenczak. For Kit, at eight, it was black and white, Wolenczak was a bad man and should be punished, end of story. As a mother, Cara knew why Freya was being so kind to Kit by allowing her to choose the film and offering to take her to bed. Cara wasn't going to interfere. If it worked, fine; Wolenczak would know what was happening. If it didn't, she wouldn't lose any more sleep over it. Drifting off to sleep, she heard Lucas and Freya leaving Kit's room, and then she heard Kit and Lucas go their separate ways to their own rooms.

Across from her, Michael slept blissfully, unaware of the night's events.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N Nearly there now, thanks darkin520, don't know what I'd do without your tweaking!**

Chapter 42

"A Disney party," Kit announced as she bounded into the kitchen on cue, ready to share Michael's breakfast.

"For what?" he quizzed.

"My ninth birthday party; remember, Mummy said it could be a fancy dress, and we weren't sure of the theme, so it can be a Disney party. So, everyone has to come as a Disney character, including you _and_ Uncle Nathan. Watch out, Daddy, you are burning the pancakes. And, I'll have maple syrup on mine; is there orange juice?"

Michael thought he was getting better at multiprocessing Kit-speak.

"O.K., it's a deal. I think Uncle Nathan will make a good Captain Hook."

"Does he have to wear tights?"

Michael smiled at the thought, "No, but we could slip a pair in..."

At that moment, Lucas padded into the kitchen to join them. Both Michael and Kit looked surprised.

"I know, I know, let's take all the comic quips as though you have already said them. Yes, you are not late, I am, in fact, early, a little known phenomenon, but it does happen."

"Thinking about the speech?"

Lucas stared at Michael, with great admiration, "How did you know?"

"Well, I might be the only member of my family without telepathic ability," he said, turning and winking at Lucas, "but I'm the only one to have been a best man, and I know that the worry of the content of the speech slowly begins to gnaw away at your mind until you have to do something about it."

Lucas looked at Michael with a new understanding of the man.

"Don't worry, Lucas, when I get in tonight, we'll have a really good go at it and see if we can put some flesh onto the ideas we come up with. Come and join us for breakfast; it's pancakes and orange juice."

Lucas joined them, "Thanks," and he meant it. It was really good to have these satellite family groups, Lucas decided. He was sitting with his adopted uncle and cousin, and it felt just right. He had always had a very close bond with Kit, but Michael was a different matter. When Lucas visited England, he usually spent more time with Cara and the girls. He had wanted to talk to Michael, but somehow, he always felt shy, even though Michael and Nathan were very alike, Lucas found it harder to make a connection with Michael. When Michael came over to visit and spend time on the_ seaQuest_, Lucas never really liked to interrupt the few times that Nathan and Michael spent together. However, recently, Michael had really opened up and Lucas had found that he was more able to talk to Michael. Also in Lucas's mind was the blaring fact that Michael knew what had happened to Cara and Lucas when they were held captive and what they had to do together. Michael had never, ever once given Lucas a recriminating look or given any indication that he blamed Lucas. In fact, he had thanked Lucas for looking after Cara. He had also given his approval to Lucas about seeing Freya. What more could this man do for Lucas? Then, suddenly, it dawned on Lucas that it was going to be alright. Michael Bridger was one of those very special people, just like his brother and Kristin and Cara that Lucas could trust with his life and who saw Lucas for just who he was.

Breakfast was real fun with Michael beginning to reveal some of Nathan's shady past when they were children trying to make some money in the summer holidays.

After Michael left for work, Kit and Lucas were left together.

"Kit, thanks for last night."

"That's O.K., Lucas; I did it for you, _not_ for him."

Lucas was desperate to know how she did it and thought one or two questions in the privacy of home wouldn't really break his promise to Cara.

"How did you do it, Kit?"

"Well, I could see where you had been because I asked your mind, and you told me. And I also know what the bad man was like, so I used the information you had given me and the fact that I could trace the bad man, and I took us there. Not really us; our bodies were still on the bed, but when we held hands, I could use your ability and Freya's ability to help me."

"Wait a minute; I'm not telepathic!"

"You have something that makes you different from other people, not as strong as Mummy or Freya, but it's there."

Lucas sat astounded.

"Do you think I can have a yoghurt now? ... Lucas?"

"Oh, what? Sorry, yes." He got down off the stool and went to the fridge. He opened it in a daze, "Which flavour?"

"Can I have toffee or chocolate as Mummy isn't here? I'm not supposed to have one for breakfast, but doing things with my mind always makes me tired and hungry, and sweet things help, so toffee, please."

Lucas didn't pass comment; he took a toffee yoghurt from the fridge, went to the drawer to get a spoon, and passed them over to Kit.

"Don't be worried, Lucas. It just shows you are really special, but I already know that."

"How did...?" But Lucas already knew how Kit knew. All the other questions Lucas wanted to ask Kit slipped his mind. "Are you O.K. on your own? I want to go and see Freya."

"Can you put the screen on? I want to see the cartoons."

"O.K., be back soon."

Lucas went towards Freya's room; he knocked and went in. Freya was still asleep. She, too, used her mind yesterday and so must be tired. He left and went towards Cara's room. He knocked and went in. The first thing he saw was the brand mark on her back, which still made his own brand burn and made him catch his breath. He then saw the rest of the marks on her back, a reminder that it wasn't too long since they were in the clutches of his father.

"Lucas, are you alright? Come and sit down." Cara sat up and moved across in the bed. She motioned for Lucas to come and join her. She had gone from asleep to wide awake in a matter of nanoseconds.

"I'm fine; it's just that I was with Kit, and she told me I had some sort of telepathic power. She could tell."

"Do you believe her?"

"Well, thinking back to the time we were together, it could explain quite a few things."

"I know what you mean. I had my own suspicions, but didn't want to say anything as I thought it could be because we were going through such an emotional time. We were getting better, and we found Kit was so powerful. And then, we got taken again and Freya was with us; your ability just got rather overlooked, but I do think it's there, just like I think Tony has ability as well.

"You're kidding; _Piccolo_!"

"When we were looking for Darwin, there was just something, and Darwin picked it up too. That's why Tony was chosen to go with him to Malcolm's. They had some sort of bond."

Lucas sat back on the bed and closed his eyes. He had missed so much. What had he been doing when all this was going on?

He felt Cara's arm around him, and she pulled him in for a hug.

"There's a lot to take in, Lucas, don't try to decide things too quickly. Just try and recover from what has been happening with your father. There's plenty of time to think. Your gift will always be there. You may find it now recedes as we are not in danger; it could have been your incredible mind stepping in to help when you needed it so much. Promise me you won't rush off and devise lots of tests for yourself."

He could feel the warmth of her body next to his and the smell of her perfume. He felt warm and secure. Why should he put himself through more uncertainty? He would let things happen normally. What would be would be and just at this time, at this moment, feeling loved and settled. He wasn't going to be rushing anywhere.

"I promise."

"Excellent." And she kissed him on the forehead.

He moved and settled in her lap as she gently stroked his hair. He had forgotten how wonderful this felt. He closed his eyes and soon was sleeping, his rhythmic breathing telling Cara that he was now dozing. The house was quiet for about another hour until the cartoons had finished. By that time, Cara had eased herself off the bed and left Lucas sleeping. She had showered and dressed and was sitting in the bedroom by the desk making a, 'to do' list. Cara loved lists. She kept looking up to make sure Lucas was still asleep as she knew he needed rest. Freya had wandered in and got into the other bed and had fallen asleep without any conversation. Both teenagers were fast asleep and didn't even flinch when Kit came in, wanting to tell Cara about her idea for the party. Cara duly followed her to the kitchen and wondered how breakfast preparations in the house could resemble a war zone. As Cara was clearing up the debris, Kit told her the great party plan.

"That's really good, Kit, we can send invitations out to the_ seaQuest,_ and I can start to contact the fancy dress shops to reserve costumes. We will have to find out who wants to go as which character, so let's see. Who do you want to come?"

"I know that I want you and Daddy and Freya and Lucas and Uncle Nathan and Aunty Kristin. Then there's Dagwood and Tony and Tim and Jonathan and Miguel and Ben and Katie."

"What about the children at school?"

"I don't know who to invite. I like a lot of people."

"So why don't you have a school party before your birthday and have a family party on Bridger Island so we can get ready for the wedding as well?"

"Oh, Mummy, you always have the right answers; I love you." With that, Kit gave Cara a huge hug.

"It's my job," answered Cara with a smile on her face. Cara then helped Kit compose her invitations to the crew and sent them through the Internex. Next, she wondered how she was going to break it to Michael that their house was probably going to be invaded by twenty to thirty children for Kit's house party.

No, that would be a piece of cake.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N So finally here we are at the end. Thank you so much for your help, darkin520, the time you have taken to look through this and then review has meant so much to me. Thanks also to Lynnp, Juliet Lovett and hecticlife for reviewing throughout the story and for those who put the story on alert and favourites :o)**

Chapter 43

Everyone was coming to the party on Bridger Island, which was very good news.

Kit had returned to school and so, Cara had time to think about decorations for the party and what could remain up for the wedding. She spent time contacting caterers, costume shops, bridal shops, photographers, florists, and musicians. She was in her element, making list after list, preparing meals for the family, and collecting Kit from school as Michael took her in the mornings. She was pleased that Lucas was continuing to help Freya with her studies and that Freya was looking stronger by the day. All signs of bruising were beginning to fade, and Lucas and Freya, along with discretely placed UEO security guards, had also managed a few afternoons out together, completely Kit free.

Cara and Kristin had been on the Internex a great deal, chatting and arranging the wedding. Michael had spent time with Lucas on his speech, which was beginning to take shape very well. Cara had also managed to find a design of dress that Kit did not absolutely hate. It was the simplest design she could find, literally, scoop neck, no sleeves and an 'A' line shape to mid calf. They had found the softest, palest lemon cotton with tiny embroidered flowers, and all the other bridesmaids had agreed on the colour and design. At that point, Cara sat down with the largest gin and tonic she could manage as a reward for her patience with Kit. There had been times when she felt like screaming and shouting and moving house as far away from Kit as she could, but finally, dresses, head dresses, and flowers had been arranged. Kristin's dress had been far simpler. The men's suits had also been simple. Those who were not wearing dress uniform would be wearing dress suits with cravats, the same colour lemon as the bridesmaids.

When Freya returned to school, Lucas seemed at a loss. However, because of his excellent tutoring and Freya's ability to learn quickly, they discovered that she had already covered part of the curriculum so she and Lucas were able to set up a project that they could work on together using one of the labs at UEO headquarters. This meant that for half the time she was at school, she spent it with Lucas, and he could work on various other projects when she was time-tabled to be at the UEO School.

The fact that Cara's mind was filled with information about Disney characters and wedding caterers meant that she was physically and mentally tired at night. And then it happened; she actually slept in the same bed as Michael all night. She was incredibly proud of herself, and so was Michael. He had been waiting to spend the entire night with Cara next to him for months. The barrier that she overcame meant that she could tell herself that there was no need to worry now. She had slept with him all night, and nothing had happened to her; she hadn't woken up in a panic as images of Wolenczak and Curtis did not invade her mind.

One step at a time was all she needed. Dr. Palmer was very pleased with her progress as was Kristin when Cara called her on the vid phone.

"Kris, I did it! I slept with Michael all night!"

There was silence, and then Kristin said, "Well, thank you, Cara. We are _all_ pleased to hear that!" In her haste to let Kristin know, Cara had forgotten to check if Kristin was actually free. Cara could now see that the room was full with members of the _seaQuest_ crew.

"Oops," Cara whispered.

"Let's hear it for Mrs. B for being next to the old man all night!" It was clearly Piccolo's voice, and he began to whistle and cheer.

At that point, Kristin and Cara both crumbled and began to laugh. Everyone else on the vid link all laughed too.

Right on cue, Michael walked in. "What am I missing?"

Kristin and Cara looked at each other and laughed even louder. Michael would have been so embarrassed if he knew.

"Just a joke about weddings," answered Cara. She knew that would have Michael returning to the safety of the kitchen as he and Nathan had made a pact to stay well away from any wedding talk and arrangements until they were actually on Bridger Island.

The six weeks on patrol went very quickly, both for the crew on the _seaQuest_ and the Bridger family living in New Cape Quest. Cara had arranged everything for the party and for the wedding. With the help of a brilliant 3D measuring program, she had been able to give the exact measurements of Kristin, Katie, and Cynthia to the dressmakers so that when Kristin arrived back in New Cape Quest, she could try on her wedding dress and Katie could try on her bridesmaid dress. Cynthia's, hopefully, would fit as she was arriving only two days before the wedding since her schedule was so tight. Kristin did not say anything as she was just so pleased that her daughter would be able to be there to celebrate with the family. Cara, Freya, and Kit's dresses were ready, and all had gone well, apart from the occasional strop and sulk from Kit during the fitting sessions. Cara's dress had a back in it to hide the brand and scars. The dressmaker had, at first, been horrified to see the state of her back, but had been very skilful in using the minimum amount of material to cover everything, and it did not look terribly different. In fact, from the front it was exactly the same. Cara had even managed a sneak photo of her younger daughter for Kristin, who couldn't believe that Kit was actually going to wear a dress for the wedding. Cara did mention to Kristin that she owed her big time.

Lucas and Michael had been busy organising Nathan's bachelor party, which was totally hush-hush. No-one, apart from the two main conspirators, knew what was going to happen or when it was going to happen. Cara hoped it would be in plenty of time to get them out of trouble before the wedding if the need arose. She did not say much but did warn Lucas and Michael that if she had to release anyone from jail, they would be in charge of Kit's school party where there were now 34 confirmed as coming. As Michael had absolutely no desire to be anywhere near the party, let alone run it, he promised that all would be organised and no-one would get into trouble.

As _seaQuest_ pulled into the dock, Michael, Cara, Lucas, Freya, and Kit were waiting. There was much hugging, and Kit was scooped up into Dagwood's arms and put on his shoulders so she could be told about the amazing lands on top of the Faraway Tree.

That evening, Michael and Kristin joined the family for a barbeque and much chatting followed. The next day, Kristin and Katie went to try their dresses on, and they were a perfect fit. Cara and Katie both burst into tears when they first saw Kristin in her dress, and by the end of the session, all three had been crying. Lucas, Freya, and Kit had stayed well away from the shop and had met up with Piccolo, Dagwood, Miguel, and Tim for lunch. Michael and Nathan had spent time catching up and had the general chilling together as only men can while everyone was running around checking on wedding arrangements.

Kristin, Katie, and Cara had booked themselves into a spa to be pampered, and the male crew members, including Lucas, disappeared for the weekend to an unknown location. Freya and Kit had said that they would be perfectly alright for the weekend as their favourite security guards were on duty so they all went bowling and had an ice cream eating contests. The women came back, refreshed and full of life. The men came back looking as though they had not slept for a week and missing various items of clothing and quite a lot of money. Cara and Kristin decided there and then that they did not want to know what had happened and were pleased that it was only money and clothing that was missing. Cara didn't even comment when she noticed the tattoo that had appeared on Michael's arm but just confirmed with Kristin and Katie that Nathan and Ben had matching ones. Lucas proudly showed Freya his, and being fourteen, she was very impressed.

"What does it mean?"

"The symbol is the universal symbol of brotherhood," Lucas said proudly.

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"Wow!"

Kristin and Cara had also asked what the symbols had meant and received the same reply. Kristin wanted to check out what exactly her husband-to-be was going to proudly display for all to see, so she did some investigating. Although the symbol occasionally could be taken for 'brotherhood' in the loosest sense of the meaning, the most-recognised meaning was for a herd of animals – usually goats. Kristin, Cara, and Katie laughed till they cried.

Kit's school party was a great success, with Cara having the brainwave of having a craft party where the children could make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings for either themselves or other people. There was a huge selection of beads and shells, and it was the quietest party that she had ever hosted. Michael was totally amazed and deeply impressed with his wife.

The next major event was the trip to Bridger Island for Kit's family party and the wedding. Cara had been arranging for various items to be sent over, but it was when everyone was going to be there that most equipment would be delivered as there would be people to receive it. Everything seemed to go very well, Cara had delegated jobs to everyone and was a strict taskmaster, surprising everyone. She kept meticulous tabs on everything and everyone to such an extent that, at one point, Michael wondered if his easy-going, smiley wife had been swapped for a doppelganger. However, once everyone and everything was on Bridger Island and had been ticked off and checked twice, she began to relax.

The large accommodation tents for the men had been put up before they arrived so people could just move in.

Disney decorations were also swinging from each tree and post and there were lights and a big wheel and a roundabout with horses that went up and down. These were two of Kit's most favourite rides and she was totally mesmerised that they were on Bridger Island, ready for her party.

Michael, too, was amazed. "You are amazing, Cara."

"I know," she replied.

"No, you really are amazing."

"I know."

"No, really Cara, this is totally…"

She turned Michael to her. "Michael, I know, but it's what we all deserve after everything this family has been through."

The next day, everyone began to get changed into their costumes. All costumes had been delivered and labelled. Kit was beside herself with excitement – she had decided to be Peter Pan and even wore the green tights. It was a good choice, and she really suited the costume.

Dagwood joined her as Pinocchio, followed by Miguel as the Prince of Persia. Ben and Katie came next as Woody and Jesse from Toy Story, Lucas and Freya were Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Cara was Pocahontas and Michael was Buzz Lightyear, Piccolo came as Thor and Kristin, Wendy from Peter Pan, finally three Captains came into view, Tim was Captain Jack Sparrow, Jonathan was Captain Nemo, and finally, Nathan came as Captain Hook.

Kit was clapping and laughing. They had come as her favourite story characters from the Disney films.

There was dancing and game playing – all the traditional ones from parties in the past like musical chairs and pass the parcel. All the adults were having the best of times, laughing and eating and story-telling about parties from their past – Piccolo was on a strict, 'remember Kit will be listening' reminder. Peter Pan and Captain Hook had a spectacular sword fight over a great deal of the island; Captain Hook finally conceded, saying that his tights were chafing. It was at that point that Buzz Lightyear made a quick exit in case Captain Hook found out that tights were not a mandatory part of the costume!

For Kristin, the best part was seeing Cynthia arrive as Belle from Beauty and the Beast; she had changed at New Cape Quest and arrived in character. All the family were at last together and under one roof, ready for the wedding. The festivities lasted into the early hours of the morning, and everyone had a brilliant time.

As Michael awoke surrounded by feathers, he realised what had happened last night. Climbing into bed, exhausted with laughing, dancing, playing games, and the various goes on both rides, he had not expected Cara to begin caressing his shoulders and chest. She had been so happy with the outcome of the day and so pleased that all the family was together, safe on Bridger Island, she realised her fear was finally becoming unfounded. She wanted to show Michael how much she loved him for standing by her. She wanted to show how much she treasured his trust and patience. She wanted to show him that he was the only man she would ever love. At first Michael wasn't sure how to respond, but eventually, he realised that Cara wanted to show that she was ready. He remembered the night and turned over to look at his wife, who was sleeping next to him. He gently slipped his arm under her. The sun was shining, and sunbeams fell across the room and onto the bed. She was so beautiful. If only this moment would last for ever…it didn't.

The door was opened.

"I'm hungry," announced Kit. Cara didn't stir. She must have been exhausted.

"Go and eat some of the food from the party. There's some left."

"Really, Daddy? …Anything?"

"Yes." Michael was trying to whisper, but Kit was making no attempt.

"Wow, thanks, Daddy!"

Fleetingly, Michael wondered what food was left, but then, he realised he didn't care. There were lots of other adults around today, and he just wanted to spend a little more time with the adult sleeping next to him.

When Kristin walked into the kitchen, all was still quiet. She heard some noise outside and saw Kit munching her way through crisps and chocolate.

"Isn't it rather early for that sort of food, Kit?"

"I did ask, and Daddy said it would be fine."

Kristin looked at Kit, and then made a decision. "I think I'll join you."

By the time Cara walked outside, the birthday party food was nearly all gone, being consumed by everyone else.

"I like the rush of sugar in the morning," commented Ben, and he worked his way through a bowl of very brightly-coloured sweets.

"At least it saves on the washing up," agreed Cara.

Kristin came out with trays of freshly squeezed orange juice and pots of coffee. No one had been drinking alcohol last night; Cara had ordered a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails, which looked spectacular and which everyone enjoyed. All the party-goers had got their highs by being transported back to their childhood and playing silly party games. Ben got rather carried away in the early hours of the morning and tried to rock the seat of the big wheel when he and Katie were at the top, and she became rather unsettled and had punched him, the result being a splendid black eye, which Ben proudly exhibited, hoping to gain sympathy, but it wasn't working.

Piccolo arrived from the interior of the island. He had thrown his hammer last night and still couldn't find it, and he didn't want to pay the extra charge. He stopped long enough for drink, and then enlisted the help of Kit and Dagwood to help him find Mjolnir. Lucas had taken endless pleasure in suggesting ways that Tony could find the axe, and eventually, Freya had dragged him away, still laughing, in case Tony lost his sense of humour, which was rapidly wearing out.

After Cara had picked her way through the last of the chocolates, she decided it was time to start thinking about slowly setting up for the wedding. To everyone's dismay, she brought out her 'wedding jobs' list and started delegating tasks to individuals or groups. Kristin was in the kitchen with Cynthia, who had tried on her dress, and was so thrilled to see that it fitted really well. Cara left mother and daughter off the list as she knew that their time together was precious, especially for Kristin, and there was plenty of work to be done without disturbing the Westphalens.

Slowly but surely, the island was being transformed from a Disney paradise to a venue for a wedding. The colours were changing from bright and bold to more muted and silvery. Streamers of pearls, lilacs, blues, and lemons were being hung from trees and posts. Flower arrangements were being put in place and carefully watered, and people were arriving on the island with chairs and decking for the actual ceremony.

Sometime in the afternoon, a buffet was served, and everyone helped themselves. The caterers that Cara had found were a local company who excelled in freshly-caught and locally-grown produce. They were doing all the catering and were a great success.

The evening saw all the wedding furniture in place, and everywhere was looking neat and tidy. The big wheel and carousel were still working, and people were now beginning to have rides again as all the work had been done.

As the rest of the guests were not arriving until the next day, the crew and Bridger family were on their own, celebrating, reminiscing, and playing music. Jonathan showed off his keyboard skills, and Miguel and Tim played guitar. Everyone was sitting around the fire, laughing and joking and just enjoying each other's company.

Nathan was sitting next to Kristin.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, are you?"

"I have been waiting for this day for a long time, ."

That made Kristin smile.

"The fact that we have all our family and friends here makes a real difference. Cara has worked so hard; I've done very little."

"I think that it has given her something on which to focus and taken her mind off the past. I also think that she has risen to the challenge brilliantly, even when she was taking on a very believable role as a Commandant of the SS,"

Kristin laughed, "But she got it done."

"Yes, yes she did."

As the next day was going to be a busy day, most people decided to have an early night. Tasks had been shared out so everyone knew what they were doing at what time.

The next morning, the sun streamed through Kristin's windows. She looked over and saw Cynthia, who was just stirring. This was going to be a good day. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw various members of the crew in various degrees of readiness. Kristin helped herself to a cup of tea and poured one for Cynthia.

"Mum, I've not seen you so happy for a very long time."

"I am truly happy. I have met a wonderful man and have been welcomed into his family."

"All the Bridgers are lovely. You and Cara seem to have struck up a real friendship, and the girls really seem to be like your nieces. I hope that they accept me as well." As if by magic and right on cue, raised voices could be heard. "Well I think you're rubbish, and I'm going to ask someone who knows what to do. I'm going to ask Aunty Kristin or Cynthia." It was, of course, Kit.

Kristin turned to Cynthia and looked at her. "Does that answer your question?"

Freya had been trying to plait Kit's hair. She wanted two small plaits that would be taken back so that her headdress would look better.

"Come on, I'll do it for you; let's go outside and sit on the beach."

Cynthia led Kit outside with various combs and a yellow ribbon.

"Thank you." Freya breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she was going to end up either killing Kit or shaving her head.

Kristin looked at Freya. "Would you like some help with your hair too?"

"Please."

Kristin spent a very relaxing time brushing and plaiting Freya's hair. Everyone else was beginning to look more and more like guests for a wedding. She had peeped outside at the place where she and Nathan were going to say their vows, and it had been perfect. Everywhere was ready; the flowers were beautiful. Cara had done her proud. Kristin then decided she was going to have a shower and think about getting ready. Cara was already dressed, and she looked beautiful. She wanted to be ready to receive the guests who were coming for the day. Michael, too, was ready and looked so handsome in his dress suit and the lemon of the cravat exactly matching Cara's dress. He loved the flowers in her hair, and it reminded him of their wedding day, when he remembered thinking that she looked like a character from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' everything was so magical, and now sixteen years later, he still felt the same.

Michael had been to the room in the tent where Nathan was getting ready. He was looking very splendid in his dress uniform, as were the rest of the crew. Lucas's suit matched Michael's, and he was looking very handsome. Dagwood, too, wore a dress suit, but still had his red duster sticking out of his pocket for luck.

Cara checked on Katie and Cynthia, who were helping each other get ready. Freya and Kit were also dressed. They both looked like princesses, and Kit was actually smiling, so Cara decided not to say anything but just gave them both a very large grin.

Guests had started to arrive, and she wanted to be there to greet them. Michael and Lucas had the same idea.

"Oh, my handsome boys, you both look wonderful." she beamed as they came to find her.

Freya looked at Lucas; she had never seen him in a suit before. She found her heart beat a little faster. Lucas looked at Freya. "You look stunning," he said, coming up and giving her a kiss.

"What about me?" asked Kit.

"I can't believe you are in a dress. How do you feel?"

"Well, I thought I would feel stupid, but this dress is O.K. Mummy took a long time trying to find one that we all liked. It's easy to move in and it isn't scratchy at all. I don't really mind because I want it to be a good day for Aunty Kristin and Uncle Nathan." Lucas thought that Kit looked really pretty but didn't think he should push his luck.

As the crew and friends met up, there was a great deal of talking and laughter. Everyone thought Freya and Kit looked beautiful, and Kit didn't mind being called a princess, even though she didn't agree. Katie and Cynthia were in with Kristin, putting the final touches to the outfit. Kristin had asked Michael to give her away, and he had been very touched by her offer.

And, then, it was all happening. Nathan and Lucas were waiting with the Pastor from the nearest church. Nathan had done one or two jobs for him when he had been on Bridger Island, and they had become friendly.

The musicians started playing, and Freya and Kit walked down the isle, followed by Katie and Cynthia and behind them, came Cara. The music changed, and Kristin and Michael appeared, Kristin holding onto Michael's arm as though she wouldn't let go.

Nathan turned around, and time stopped for him. Kristin was walking towards him. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder, long dress that was made of soft material which moved in perfect unison with her body. It was a plain, white dress covered by iridescent voile, which turned the palest blue or purple as she moved towards him. She had white, blue, yellow and purple flowers woven into her hair which fell across her shoulders. She was a vision, and Nathan Bridger knew that he was the luckiest man on the Earth.

As she came up to him, Michael stepped back and stood by Cara.

Nathan looked at Kristin. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

She smiled at him. As he looked close at her, he realised that her dress had tiny dolphins embroidered along the hemline, and neckline. Fleetingly, he remembered a conversation, from what seemed a life-time ago about a blue and purple wedding dress with plastic dolphins. He smiled to himself and stood by the vision next to him, ready to make his vows to her.

Cara cried all the way through the service as it was so beautiful. She was really pleased she had worn very little make-up and had chosen clear mascara, other wise she thought she would now be resembling a panda. When Nathan and Kristin spoke their vows to each other, Michael slipped his hand into hers and not too far away, a certain Mr. Krieg was doing the same to a Ms. Hitchcock. As the Pastor announced that the groom could kiss the bride, there was a huge cheer and much clapping. The photographs reflected the total happiness of the family on Nathan and Kristin's perfect day.

Lucas's speech was a great success and had everyone laughing and cheering. Nathan had forgotten some of the events that Lucas described and some of the information that Michael had given him made Nathan laugh out loud, remembering them.

After the meal, there was dancing and chatting. Kristin looked absolutely stunning, having the radiance that all brides have on their special day.

"Cara, I have so much to thank you for," she said, putting her hand into Cara's.

"It's only what you deserve," came the reply. "We have come through so much as a family, and now we are here, together, finally enjoying our time together."

They both looked around the scene. Lucas and Freya were dancing together, Dagwood was dancing with Kit. Both girls looked so pretty in their outfits, and for the first time, people realised how pretty Kit was as well – she would be a stunner, just like her older sister - Michael and Nathan were chatting, Nathan's arm around Michael's shoulders. Ben and Katie were dancing as was Cynthia and Jonathan, who seemed to be getting along especially well. Kristin had already made a mental note of the fact. The rest of the crew and guests were chatting and talking.

At that moment in time, both women knew that the bonds that their family had were strong, secure, and unbreakable, and that they would last forever.

Epilogue

"That's my little lady, there." Edward Curtis pointed to Cara on the wedding photographs.

"And you say she is telepathic?" The serious voice asking was not one to be lied to.

"Well she opened safes, but her girls sure had power too, especially the little one, Lou thought she was something special."

"Lou?"

"Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak." A third voice gave clarification.

"And they certainly had something going on with the Wolenczak kid, as well," added Curtis.

"Point him out to me," the voice in authority ordered.

Edward Curtis looked at the photos and pointed out Lucas, who had his arm around Freya.

"Lucas Wolenczak is now Lucas Bridger. He was adopted by Nathan Bridger." Clarification was again given.

"Yes, I know, Nathan Bridger, captain of _seaQuest_. Exactly what did this little girl do to warrant Dr. Wolenczak's interest?"

"Well, it's hard to say …" started Curtis but was interrupted by the third voice.

"Come now, Mr. Curtis, you did not seem to be as reticent in prison when you were talking about the Bridger family and their amazing abilities; it is the reason I contacted Mr. Bourne and arranged this meeting with him. I thought you had something worth getting out of prison for. Remember if you supply the correct information, it may mean that Mr. Bourne will have an opening for you in Melbourne at his offices."

Edward Curtis didn't care that Melbourne was the capital of Macronesia; he wanted to get out of prison and if those Bridger girls could get him out, he would tell Mr. Bourne everything that he could.

"I knew that Lou said the little one could give him a headache over the Internex when she was miles away and that she could switch his lap top on too."

"Interesting, very interesting."

Alexander Bourne was looking at the wedding photos. He put his finger onto Cara, Freya, Kit, and Lucas. "So they come as a package do they?"

"Yes, sir," answered Curtis.

"And who is this?" He pointed to Kristin.

Curtis had a look. Don't know, I don't recall seeing her."

"She is Dr. Kristin Westphalen, who was, but is now Dr. Kristin Bridger."

"What a stunning woman." Alexander Bourne paused, then turned to the man next to him. "I think it would be to our advantage to meet with the Bridger family and see how they can help us."

"It won't be easy."

"We shall bide our time observing them, and then, when the opportunity comes, I want to make sure that their abilities are used for the benefit of Macronesia."

"How are we going to do that?"

Alexander Bourne smiled, a cold and calculating smile. "I am sure we have the means to persuade them."


End file.
